


The Water Fairies

by Just2Protect



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Anime, CanonxOC, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Fairy Tail anime, Family, Fire, Fire Dragon Slayer, Guild Hall, Laxus Dreyar x OC, LaxusxOC - Freeform, Lightning - Freeform, Lightning Dragon Slayer, Mages, Magic, Magicians, Manga, Multi, Nakama, New Ideas, OC, Poison, Science, Sister - Freeform, Sisters, Sky - Freeform, Sky Dragon Slayer, Trident, Water, Water Dragon Slayer, Wizards, characters, dragon slayer, ideas, iron, original - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-06-10 03:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 54,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6937096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just2Protect/pseuds/Just2Protect
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two girls arrive at the Guild Hall, yet no one knows either of them but they bear the mark of the Guild anyway. Both are Water Wizards and one has a very surprising claim to make. First Fairy Tail story and first story on AO3 so please be nice with the reviews. NaLu in later Chapters. Plus a few of my own. Please comment, leave kudos or bookmark to show support.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The bright morning sun cast warm light over the Magnolia streets. Everywhere people were bustling about, enjoying the weather and the company of friends.

Among the vendors and consumers, two young ladies maneuvered through the swarms of people, each leading a horse by the reins. Both were dressed in the same dark-grey dress that reached their knees while the top wrapped around their torsos like robes. A matching cloth sash was tied around their waists and the ends allowed to hang freely. Around their shoulders they both wore soft, tan cloaks with hoods, the first lady having a gold, swirling design around the edge of hers. Their feet were decked with dark brown sandals decorated with glimmering sapphires and silver.

The first lady had long ink-black hair that she kept braided and held up in a bun on the back of her head. Her eyes were the same green-blue color as the ocean's waters that lapped at the edge of Magnolia. On her left ring finger was a simple golden band with a beautiful diamond resting delicately on top with a sapphire on each side almost like children holding hands with a parent. Her horse was as black as her hair and everything from the reins and saddle, to the bit in the horse's mouth and the wrappings on her legs were of the highest quality of material and design.

The second lady had long, wavy platinum-blonde hair that almost looked silver in the sunlight, that she let hang down to her hips freely. Her eyes were the same color as the silver on her feet. Her own horse was a pale golden color and was constantly bumping her shoulder with her nose. Her own equipment was of the same quality as the first horse but had a paler color than the first.

The two ladies moved through the crowd as carefully as possible and some people were kind enough to hold their children out of the way and away from the impressive horses. The ladies smiled in appreciation as they moved on.

"Ava, are you sure we're at the right city?" the blonde lady asked. The first lady looked over her shoulder and nodded.

"Yes Sylvia, he said the guild is in a city called Magnolia. He even wrote it down so I could check the spelling and pointed it out on a map before he left." Sylvia sighed.

"It's just…" Ava looked back expectantly. "He knew when we were coming. I almost expected the red carpet rolled out." Ava gave her companion a pointed glare.

"It's a tough job being a Guild Master, my bet would be that he's still dealing with the mess of the previous Master and lost track of time." Ava gently touched the ring on her hand and a happy, serene smile graced her pale pink lips. Sylvia smiled and began looking around the city.

"You sure are dedicated to him, I'll give ya that much," she said with a slight chuckle. Ava let a chuckle of her own slip past her lips and nodded.

"He's my husband, what else am I supposed to do?" Ava looked up ahead and a bright smile lit up her face. "There it is," she said, pointing ahead. Sylvia looked up and a wide grin split her face practically in two.

"The Fairy Tail Guild Hall!" she cheered. Ava nodded and pressed on as the crowd became less and less the closer they came to the impressive building.

Upon reaching the Guild Hall, the two girls tied their horses to a nearby post near a water trough and headed inside. No one spared a glance towards the two girls and they looked at each other somewhat confused before making their way over to the bar, where Mirajane was cleaning glasses and Lucy was sipping at her strawberry shake.

"Good morning," Mirajane said with a smile. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"We're looking for your Guild Master," Ava said.

"Oh, hoping to join?" Ava pulled her cloak off her shoulders and turned her back to Mirajane, revealing a pale blue Fairy Tail Guild Mark on the base of her neck, perfectly concealed by her cloak.

"We're already members," Sylvia said as she rolled up her sleeve and showed off the pale-blue mark on her left bicep. Mirajane looked the girls over with a quizzical eye.

"I'm sorry, but I don't seem to remember either of you…" she said gently.

"Well, that's because my husband made us members some time ago," Ava said. "My sister's name is Sylvia Dragocia."

"Nice to meet you," Sylvia said, extending a hand to Mirajane and then to Lucy, who both gave her a firm shake.

"And I'm Avastasia Dreyar, most people just call me Ava though." Both Mirajane and Lucy's eyes went wide. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry but you said your husband made you members how many years ago?" Mira asked.

"Six, almost seven. He was on a job and recruited us," Ava reiterated. Mira nodded.

"And his name wouldn't happen to be Laxus, would it?" Mira asked, still smiling. Ava nodded.

"Yes, that's my husband's name," Ava said with a nod. "Is he not here? At a Guild Master's conference perhaps? In that case, where might I find the Thunder Legion?" Mira looked over at the table where the aforementioned team was sitting, Bickslow's wooden babies flying around their heads and Evergreen fanning herself. "Right over there, huh? Thank you." With that, Ava picked up her cloak and she and Sylvia came over to the trio.

Freed was the first to look up as the girls came over and the talking ceased at the table.

"Is there something we can assist you with, miss?" Freed asked politely as Evergreen looked the girls over.

"You three are Laxus Dreyar's personal guard, correct?" Evergreen fanned herself a little faster.

"Yes. What of it?"

"Ever," Freed scolded. Ava shook her head gently.

"It's just that…Did Laxus not tell you about me or that I was coming?" she asked. The three looked at each other. "My name is Avastasia Dreyar, I'm Laxus' wife. Can you three tell me where he is?" she asked. Freed's jaw dropped as Ever's fanning ceased and Bickslow threw his head back in laughter, earning him a pointed glare from Ava. "I'm not joking." Freed stood up from his seat and cleared his throat.

"My apologies, it's just…Pardon me my lady but Laxus never mentioned having a girlfriend, let alone a fiancee or wife. If I may ask, how long have you two been married?"

"Little over a year now," Ava responded. "And I'm not surprised he never mentioned me before this. He told me that there are many wizards in Fairy Tail who take on jobs that are to take out Dark Guilds and he didn't want someone to say something careless that would end up with me being taken hostage to be used against him." Freed nodded.

"As to where he is…I'm afraid we don't know the answer to that question." Ava raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "You see, little over a week ago, Laxus attempted to take over the Guild by force and was expelled for it. Since then, we've neither heard anything from him nor anything of him. I'm sorry." Ava took a deep breath and nodded again.

"Then that means the would-have-been former Master is still the current Master?"

"Yes, Laxus' grandfather, Makarov," Freed said. "Would you two care to sit down? The Master is currently dealing with something but should return shortly." Ava nodded and Evergreen and Bickslow moved over to allow room for the girls in the booth seat.

"And who are you?" Evergreen asked as Sylvia sat down beside her. Sylvia smiled brightly.

"I'm Ava's sister, Sylvia Dragocia. And you must be Evergreen." Sylvia wrapped an arm around Evergreen's shoulders and tugged her close. "I look forward to working with you."

"Working with us?" Ever asked.

"Yea. You guys might be Laxus' guard, but I'm Ava's. And since Laxus isn't around anymore, shouldn't you guys be protecting Ava too now?" The trio looked at each other, then to Ava.

"We probably should. If Laxus were to return in search of you and you'd been injured, I don't like to think what he may do," Freed said. Ava nodded.

"Very well. I look forward to working with you three." Something bumped Ava's leg and she looked down. Sitting next to her was one of Bicklow's babies.

"My babies are part of the team too," Bickslow said, his tongue flopping about wildly as he spoke. Ava smiled and picked up the doll, setting it gently in her lap.

"Aren't you a cute one," she cooed, tracing the tiki-like style of the painted face. "They have names, correct?"

"Yep; Pappa, Peppe, Poppo, Pippi, and Puppu," Bicklsow said as his babies landed on the table at the sound of their name, save for Pappa, who simply jumped on Ava's lap. Ava smiled and rubbed the top of the adorable doll.

"They're very adorable Bickslow. If I understand correctly, Freed uses Enchantment and Dark Ecriture magic, Ever uses Fairy Magic and Medusa Eyes, and you use Seith Magic, correct?" Freed nodded.

"And if I may ask, my lady, what kind of magic do you and Miss Sylvia use?" Freed asked. Ava smiled.

"We both use Water Magic," she said gently, taking note of a young woman with blue hair dressed in a white-and-blue dress with a blue and white hat hiding behind a pillar holding up some kind of odd, purple flask to her mouth.

"Water Magic? Like how?" Ever asked. Ava pointed at the glass of water in front of the brunette and began to twirl her finger. The water leapt out of the glass and began to spin in midair above the table. Ava traced a figure eight and the water copied her movements. She curled her finger and the water turned to ice, still hovering in the air before Ava released her finger and let the water drop back into the glass.

"That's the kind of thing we can do," Ava said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"But we can do a lot more-" Ava's eyes shot a pointed glare at the girl and her leg shot out under the table to harshly connect with her sister's shin, making her jump with a slight yelp. One look at the raven-haired woman, and Sylvia simply smiled. "But those are a secret for now. If we revealed all the tricks up our sleeves, well, there'd be no show." Ava rolled her eyes but smiled gently.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a young man with black hair and the Guild Mark printed on his right pectoral walking around in nothing more than a pair of black boxers. The moment she realized what she was looking at, she gasped and averted her eyes while also blocking the direction with her hand. But that didn't stop her from seeing a small pale-blue mark on his back that she knew only a select few would be able to see.

"Miss Ava?" Freed asked.

"Do people around here normally strut about in their undergarments?" she asked, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. Freed looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"For Grey Fullbuster, that's rather normal. He doesn't even notice when he does it. But he's a skilled Wizard, that much I can say with certainty," the rune mage explained. "Normally, people remind him of his missing garments sooner or later. And thankfully it's only in extreme circumstances when he loses his undergarments."

"Okay, that's enough," Ava said, shaking her hands as a signal to stop talking.

"You got some nerve. You're always flying around free as a bird, trying to show me up!" At that, every member of the Thunder Legion and their newer members turned to see the aforementioned wizard yelling at a small blue cat that had been happily munching on a fish until just then.

"What is going on?" Sylvia asked as she stood up.

"I haven't the slightest," Freed admitted.

"I'm incredibly strong but I can't fly, and you're pathetically weak but you can! As far as I'm concerned, we're even!" Grey roared. Ava and Sylvia cast looks to each other, both highly confused. "Listen up, as of today, you are my rival!" The cat let out a very human yell of fright. "Come on, let's see what you've got, cat!"

"Help! Grey's gone all crazy in the head and he wants to fight me!" The cat screamed as a pair of white wings burst from his back and he took to the air. "Please! Don't let him hurt me!"

"Is this also common for Mr. Fullbuster?" Ava asked, to which, Freed shook his head as he stood up from the table. Not too far off, another pair seemed to be close to a physical brawl. Two gentlemen probably in their early thirties or so, one smoking a cigarette and the other wearing a long white coat, were glaring at each other while the smoker was holding a fist at bay from his attacker.

"You wanna tell me how much money you made last month?"

"I bet it's more than you make in a year," the smoker replied with a smirk.

"You only wish you could make as much as I do!" the dark-haired man snarled.

"Give me a break man, everyone knows I'm worth more than you," the smoker replied.

"What's going on with Wakaba and Macao?" Evergreen asked as the two men continued growling in each others' faces. "Normally they're so mellow and calm and just being the best of friends."

"I drink you alcohol, you don't drink me!" Ava snapped around to see a rather short elderly man wearing a tan cape and a white coat with fur lining, screaming at a barrel of wine. "Now listen you, I'm more than strong enough to kick your well-fermented hide! We were destined by fate to be rivals!"

"Rivals with a barrel of alcohol?" Sylvia asked. "Does he have a drinking problem?"

"The Master's usually loud and a bit out there, but this is new," Bickslow said.

"That's the Master?!" Ava cried.

"You think you can drink me?! I'll never let that happen!" Without missing a beat, the old man began to guzzle down a large tankard of alcohol.

"Curse you wretched pillar!" The Thunder Legion snapped around to see the infamous Erza Scarlet screaming at a pillar. "Why must you block my path? Shattering my dreams of passing through here unhindered?! Answer me scoundrel!" the redhead screamed. "Is silence your way of challenging me to fight you? From the moment I met you, I knew we would be rivals!" Ava rubbed at her temples to hold off a growing headache.

"Heavens above and oceans below, this is insane!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed, my lady," Freed said. "Normally Erza is only yelling at Grey and Natsu for fighting."

"Bring it on red!" Mira challenged as she appeared behind Erza. "Let's fight like we used to in the old days! But this time, I won't be holding back. Because there's no way I'm losing to my life-long rival!"

"I'm so confused! I don't know what's going on! Natsu! Where are you?!" the blue cat cried, not noticing Grey running right at him from behind until the wizard grabbed his tail and yanked him around to face him.

"I've been looking for you!" Grey marched up a flight of stairs and vanished onto the upper floor.

"What's up with that cat?" Sylvia asked.

"That's Happy, Natsu's partner," Ever explained as she cautiously sat back down. One by one, her teammates did as well. "He's a member but aside from using his wings, I've never really seen him using magic."

"And has Grey ever had a problem with him before?" Ava asked. Ever shook her head.

"Normally, it is Natsu with whom Grey fights. But this is a new turn," Freed explained.

"And your Master has a drinking problem?" Sylvia asked as Ava continued to rub at her temples, just managing to catch sight of the blue-haired girl from earlier running up the stairs after Grey and Happy.

"He never showed any kind of problem before. He usually drank to celebrate," Freed said.

"Which meant everyday had to be a celebration of some kind," Bickslow finished with a chuckle.

"And the others are acting oddly as well?" Ava asked as a brunette girl wearing little more than a bikini as a top and a pair of low-riding pants and a blue purse hanging at her hip challenged the Master to a drinking contest, only to be shot down for alcohol itself.

"Extremely," Freed said flatly. As a white-haired man began crying about how there were no real men in the Guild.

"In that case, let's see what we can do about getting some order back around here. Sylvia, Mr. Fullbuster went upstairs with Happy. Try to bring them back down here so we can figure out exactly what's wrong with them. And how well can each of you handle the others?" Ava asked.

"About as well as anyone, probably," Ever said. "But I'll handle Erza and Mira."

"I'll assist you," Freed said, making sure his sword was secured on his hip.

"And I'll round up everyone else," Bickslow said as he headed over towards the Master and Cana.

"By the sound of it, Freed and Ever will need help with Erza and Mira. I'll help if I see anything that's becoming too out of control for you two and once everyone's rounded up, I can look into exactly whatever it is that's causing them to act like this," Ava said firmly. The remaining members nodded before running off to do their own assigned tasks. _"Sylvia, I hope you notice exactly why I'm sending you after Grey,"_ Ava thought to herself.

"Freed!" Ava snapped around to see a petite blue-haired girl in an orange dress with a yellow ribbon in her hair screaming at a surprised Freed. She was flanked by two young men, one wearing a tall brown hat and long matching coat and the other wearing a plain white shirt and black pants and having his black hair styled in the oddest fashion she'd ever seen. Gold belts hung over his shoulders and crossed over his chest. "Your Thunder Legion versus my ShadowGear to see who's the strongest three-man team!"

"My apologies Levy, but I have no time for such a trivial-"

"Hardly trivial, bookworm!" Levy cried.

"Freed, you handle them, I'll help Ever!" Ava called as she hurried towards where Ever was already trying to pull Erza away from the pillar that she was stabbing with a number of swords. Mira had at some point or another changed into a rather revealing red leotard with black wings and dark claws for hands and feet and a long black tail and was now trying to shove Ever away to get to her rival.

"Very well then Levy, let's just go over here while my team finishes up what they're doing," Freed offered, trying to be gentlemanly.

"And what exactly are they doing?" Levy demanded.

"We're just trying to get everyone over here so Miss Ava can make sure they're alright. Surely, you've noticed a change in some people's behavior around here," Freed said.

"Well we can do it faster!" Levy cheered. "This'll be how we determine who's better!" With that, the girl and her teammates ran off to get some of the affected Guild members and corral them into the seating area away from Erza, Mira, Ever and Ava.

The raven-haired woman rushed forward and extended her hand.

"Water Cage!" she cried. Instantly, an elaborate cage surrounded Mira and Ava curled her fingers, turning the bars to ice. The demonized bartender began swinging punches at the bars, but they had no effect. "Ever, can you handle Erza?!" she asked as she began pulling the cage towards herself, ignoring the enraged demon inside.

"Don't worry! I've got her!" Ever called before Erza shoved her away.

"Requip! Heaven's Wheel!" Erza screeched as her body turned to pure white light that faded to leave behind a rather revealing metal top that looked to be made of feathers and a white skirt that reached the floor with the top covered in a similar metal design. She began stabbing more swords into the pillar.

"Erza, that's enough!" Ava ordered, sending the ice cage over towards the seating area where Bickslow already had the Master, Cana, Wakaba and Macao seated, still going at their little rivalries.

"Silence! This vile pillar insists on standing in my way!" Erza screamed back at her as Ever pushed herself to her feet. "I need to go further inside and yet it blocks my path! I know it secretly mocks me when I have to take time to walk around it! It's unrelenting in its obstruction of my course. Why would it do that unless it was my greatest rival?!"

"I'll handle Erza, you take the white-haired crybaby, alright?"

"Got it," Ever said before realizing exactly who Ava was talking about. "Seriously?! Elfman?!"

"Yes, now go!" Ava ordered, sending a piercing glare towards Ever. The brunette ran off to obey.

"Yes ma'am!"

"That's it! Requip! Purgatory-!" Erza screamed.

"And I've had enough of this!" Ava snapped her fingers and instantly, those affected on the floor froze in what they were doing. The Thunder Legion turned to see Ava walking slowly towards Erza, still dressed in her Heaven's Wheel armor but unable to move as the newer wizard came closer, loose strands of black hair swaying from the power emanating from her body. "That's quite enough Erza." With a sweep of her hand, the red-haired mage went back towards the seating area, still frozen in midair. Once the redhead was securely seated, Ava sighed and shook her head. "No wonder my husband attempted a takeover of this place! If this is a normal day for you lot, I'm surprised Laxus didn't try anything sooner! Honestly, this Guild looks like it's going to the dogs!" That alone was enough to get everyone to calm down.

"You're Laxus' what?" Makarov said.

* * *

Sylvia panted for breath as she came to the stairs that opened to the roof.

"Honestly, where did that guy go?" she asked as she looked around the roof, catching sight of the enraged man holding the cat captive on the edge overlooking the sea.

"Please Grey! You gotta listen to me! There's no way this is going to work!" Happy cried, trying to free his tail.

"Shut your face! There's no way I'm going to let you talk your way out of this one!" Grey roared. Sylvia caught sight of the girl who'd followed Grey up the stairs and the purple bottle in her hand. She blew at some of the froth near the top and the bubbles flew right into Grey's mouth. "Alright, it's time to do this Happy, follow me if you can!" Once the bubbled entered Grey's mouth, he realeased a roar that almost sounded completely inhuman. "Now I'm even more fired up!"

"Why's he acting like Natsu all of a sudden?!" Happy cried as Grey released his tail.

"Watch me fly!" With that, Grey leapt off the edge.

"No!" Sylvia cried as she rushed forward. Grey was running down the side of the building and then down onto the shore that was slightly elevated from the water's surface.

"I'm gonna fly, just watch me!" Grey roared. Sylvia reached towards the waters and curled her fingers, turning the surface into ice as Grey launched himself off the edge. The ice spread out in front of him, ensuring a catch when he fell. "Behold, I am the wind," Grey said calmly. Sylvia leapt down from the edge, summoning a tendril of water to catch and carry her towards Grey as he face-planted on the ice, sliding a few feet before coming to a stop. Sylvia stepped onto the ice as Grey sat up and snapped around. "What do you think you're-" Sylvia's hand came back and flew, smacking his cheek and sending his face back into the ice.

"Are you a stinking idiot?!" she screeched. "Happy can fly because he has wings! You don't! Now shut up and stop acting so stupidly!" she yelled before taking note of the blue mark on his back. Her hand flew to her mouth at the sight of a small, blue dragon curling in on itself so the stomach was pointing towards Grey's head and a small part of the dragon was missing, leaving behind a clear "SD" on the beast's side.

Grey turned over and looked up at the blonde-haired girl.

"What just happened?" he asked before wincing at the sting of pain that ran from his cheek.

"You tried challenging Happy to see who could fly farther, I believe," Sylvia said. "I'm Sylvia Dragocia, by the way. My sister and I are members too," she finished, showing off the mark on her bicep.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before. You new?" Sylvia shook her head.

"My sister's husband is the one who gave us the emblems. You might know him best as Laxus Dreyar." Grey's eyes went wide.

"Wait! Your sister married that guy?!" Sylvia nodded. "Willingly?" Sylvia nodded again. "Well there's something I never expected to hear about." Sylvia extended her hand.

"Come on, let's get inside. Other members started acting like you did and my sister and the Thunder Legion are rounding them up right now."

"How was I acting exactly?" Grey asked as he took Sylvia's hand and they headed back to the shore, where the blue-haired girl stood, hands hidden behind her back. Happy flew over.

"Geez Grey! What were you thinking?!"

"Sorry...but I don't remember anything since Natsu ran off from our fight earlier," Grey said gently as he stepped onto the shore.

"Oh my darling Grey!" the girl cried as she launched herself forward and threw her arms around Grey's torso.

"Juvia..." Grey groaned as Sylvia stepped away, letting the two have their time. She went into the Guild Hall through the back door and came back to a very calm Guild that was cleaning up from their little moment of rivalries coming to light. Ava was seated with the Thunder Legion again and the Master was seated at the bar, staring at her with total surprise. Sylvia sat down with the Legion and sighed.

"Where's Grey?" Ava asked.

"He's fine. Whatever was going on with him, he snapped out of. But he doesn't remember what happened to him," Sylvia explained. "But he ended up trying to see if he could fly like Happy and tried taking a nosedive off the roof."

"Is he alright?!" Freed asked. Sylvia nodded.

"I iced the ocean surface and slapped him and that seems to have snapped him out of it."

"Yes. It would seem a short-lasting potion was used on the people here. Looks like a good shock or slap is enough to wake them up from it. When I told them I was married to Laxus, they all seemed to calm down some." Sylvia sighed and shot a look to her sister.

"Did you send me after him because of his back?" she asked. Ava shrugged but the members of the Thunder Legion looked at each other curiously.

"His back?" Ever asked.

"An inside joke between sisters," Ava said simply, smirking at her sister.

"Well it's not gonna work. Turns out he's already got a beloved, Juvia...I think."

"Juvia? Grey's beloved?" Ever asked. "Not likely. She stalks him and I can tell he's trying to let her know he's not interested without saying anything."

"She's a stalker?" Sylvia asked. "Jeez that's creepy...But that might explain..."

"Explain what?" Ava asked.

"I saw Juvia holding a purple bottle and she blew on the foam. Some of the bubbles went into Grey's mouth and he started acting crazier. My guess is that's how everyone started acting like this."

"Perhaps. And guessing by what you saw, looks like they had to inhale it. Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt in this matter," Ava agreed. The others nodded in their own agreement.

"Excuse me..." The group looked up at Levy, who was blushing madly. "I...I just wanted to apologize for anything I did while under that spell...I'm Levy McGarden." Ava smiled.

"Hello Levy, I'm Ava," Ava said with a warm smile. "This is my sister, Sylvia. And worry not for whatever happened when you were under the spell. We understand you were not in control of yourself."

"I look forward to seeing you around the Guild, Levy," Sylvia said with a bright smile. Levy smiled and nodded.

"Thanks. Later guys!" she called before running off. A roar echoed from outside and Sylvia's eyes widened before she sighed.

"My guess is that Juvia just gave Grey more of that potion of hers." Ava bit on her bottom lip.

"Is Juvia a holder-wizard that uses potions?"

"No. She's a Water Wizard we recruited from Phantom Lord, are you aware of the Element Four?" Sylvia blinked blankly while Ava simply sighed.

"Afraid not. The only Guilds we know of are Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Raven Tail, and a couple small Dark Guilds that Laxus would tell us of. There's also the Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros...the Balam Alliance, I believe is what they call themselves officially."

"They're anything but official," Ever muttered. Ava smiled gently and nodded.

"Oh, there was also Sabertooth a few towns away from our hometown. They're a pretty small Guild...nothing like this. But they're still official," Sylvia pointed out. Ava nodded.

"Now then...Do any of you happen to know Laxus' address? Perhaps he left a clue as to where he's going in his home."

"Actually, whenever we met to plan a job, it was at one of our own homes or here in the Hall," Freed explained. "I'm afraid none of us know his home address. But the Master might know... I'm sorry we were of so little use, my lady." Ava shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. My husband is a Dragon Slayer and those types of wizards tend to have dragon-like instincts. And to a dragon, their home is the most sacred place they can go. It's a haven of safety. So allowing even close friends into the domain is a feat in and of itself. The only ones a dragon would let into their home are those they consider family; hatching mates, parents, mates, children and the like are naturally allowed to know the location of the dwelling. My bet is that Laxus was planning to tell me when I came here after he took over. But once the location of a dragon's home is known, it's basically like saying, 'You can come here whenever you like and act like this is your home as well.' Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt that Laxus trusts you all, but to his inner dragon, letting you three into his home is like offering up his territory for the taking."

"That makes sense," Sylvia said with a nod.

"How do you know so much about Dragon Slayers?" Bickslow asked. _"How? How? Tell us. Tell us,"_ his babies said, swirling around the table again. Ava smiled warmly and reached out to rub on the top of one of the dolls.

"I like to do my research. My hometown was once home to the Water Dragon, Tritannius and his daughters, the Sirens. At least, that's how the local legends go," Ava explained.

"Yea. When we were little, our Gran used to tell us stories about Tritannius and dragons all over. We loved those stories so much."

"Now for a more pressing matter...where will you two be staying?" Freed asked. Ava stood up, Sylvia following her lead.

"I'll go ask the Master if he knows of Laxus' address. If so, we'll head there. If not, we'll figure out something. Thank you for your time and help today," Ava said with a small curtsey. Sylvia copied her sister.

"No, thank you, my lady, for your pleasant conversation and for all you did today," Freed said as he stood up and bowed. "If I may, I'd like to escort you two, at least to the border of Laxus' property. I would hate for anything to happen to our newest Legion member and our leader's wife." Ava smiled and nodded.

"Thank you very much Freed. I'd be honored to accept your offer," Ava said before heading towards where Makarov was sitting. Freed followed after her and Sylvia, leaving Bickslow and Evergreen to themselves.

"So you and Elfman, huh?" Bickslow teased, tongue flopping out.

"Shut up!"

* * *

"I beg your pardon, Master," Ava said as she neared the elderly man. He turned on his seat and smiled at her.

"What is it child?" he asked cheerfully.

"I was wondering if you might have Laxus' address in town? We were thinking that perhaps he left a clue as to where he was heading in his home." Makarov went quiet. "I know he was cast out from the Guild, but he's still my husband. I need to at least try to find him."

"I know child. But may I ask you something candidly?" he asked. Ava raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.

"You say you're the wife to my grandson...but I just want to be sure it's because it was your choice...He didn't force you...did he?" Ava's hands clenched into fists at her sides and her arms began to tremble.

"Yes. Entirely my choice. Laxus and I met almost seven years ago on a job of his. During which, because of our help, he made Sylvia and I members of the Guild. A year ago, he and I were married in the ways of my hometown's traditions. Since then, he was a kind and tender husband. The only time he and I did anything in our bed aside from sleep was little over a month ago when he told me he was becoming Master of Fairy Tail and to come to him at this point in time so we could be together and start a family. So I assure you, he never forced me into anything. And even if he'd wanted to, I'm more than powerful enough to handle even him." Makarov nodded.

"I meant nothing against you child. It's just...my grandson wasn't the most social of people so it surprises me that he managed to not only meet you, but also make you and your sister members and marry you without someone becoming suspicious of his behavior."

"Then perhaps, the fault lies in those who raised him, who should've been looking after him," Ava snapped. Makarov and Freed's eyes widened at her words. "Now...that address?" Mira stepped up to the bar.

"I know his address. Here," the bar tender said as she handed Ava a napkin with the address written on it. "I hope you find what you're looking for." Ava nodded.

"Thank you very much," the raven-haired girl said as she turned towards the doors and stormed out, Sylvia and Freed following quickly behind.

* * *

Ava looked from the napkin to the building then over to Freed and Sylvia.

"Perhaps Mira's information is outdated," Sylvia suggested. The building in front of them was a simple one, only about a story tall and made of grey stone. There were shattered windows and various cracks in the walls.

"Perhaps he did indeed live here but planned to fix it up before you arrived?" Freed suggested.

"No. A dragon's home is sacred to them. Like how a priest wouldn't let their church be dirtied, a dragon wouldn't let their home fall into disarray like this. Guessing by the appearance, it's been years since he lived here," Ava said, heading towards the old, splintering door.

"My lady?" Freed called.

"It might have been a while since he lived here, but I want to check something..." Ava gently touched the door, only to have it slip from the hinges and land with a loud crash inside, sending up a cloud of dust and dirt. Ava covered her mouth and swatted at the dust that came at her. _"There has to be a reason why this would be his listed address yet he no longer live here,"_ Ava thought as she made her way in.

The front entrance opened to a small hall that opened right into what had likely been a comfortable living room. Two sofas, a reclining chair and a dark-colored armchair all arranged around a lovely little coffee table. Beyond the living room was a hallway that led to the kitchen. Ava peeked into each room as she passed. One was a bathroom, still stocked as if the owners were about to use it again, even down to the toothbrushes on the counter, covered in a thick layer of dust. The next room she peered into had a massive bed, spread with a beautiful quilt and one side folded back, ready to welcome a tired master that would never come. A set of clothes were set out on the edge and the dresser held a stack of clean laundry that still needed to be put away on the top. The next room was messier, the bed sheets had been kicked to the foot of the bed, books and wizarding booklets and a guitar magazine and a few magazines that would depict a number of indecently dressed women were scattered around the room with dirty clothes. The dresser was covered in clothes, clean and dirty alike and a few picture frames could be seen under the fabrics.

"Typical teen boy's bedroom," Ava muttered as she moved on. The next room was like the first but had no clothes laid out and no folded-back blanket; likely the guest room.

The hall ended with the kitchen. Ava slapped a hand over her mouth and nose at the smell emanating from the oven, stove and a garbage can that while it likely held very little, should've been taken out years before. Pots and pans were scattered around the stovetop and in the sink were dishes to clean.

Off to the side of the oven was another door, this one left wide open and the darkness it lead down into made Ava think of a massive, wild beast, just waiting to devour something like her. Ava steeled herself and began shuffling through the drawers until she found a flashlight. She could hear Freed and Sylvia coming into the house.

She took another deep breath and turned on the light before heading down the stairs. A few creaked precariously under her feet as she moved into the darkness, turning the light every which way to see as much as she could. And what she saw made her drop the flashlight. The beam flashed on her for a split second before landing on the horror in front of her. Her hand came up to her mouth.

The far wall was covered with notes, diagrams, x-rays and the like. Against the wall, there was a long table covered in massive trays filled with lacrima. In between the wall and where Ava was standing was a steel table outfitted with only a pillow to allow for slight elevation and next to it was a mobile tray covered in tools outfitted for surgery and the tray was speckled with blood. There were leather restraints on the bed, and judging by their distance from each other, they were meant to restrain a small child. And by the way some of the holes were worn, they could've even been awake during whatever procedure had happened here.

"So this is how it happened..." She breathed before swallowing thickly and running back up the stairs, just in time for Freed and Sylvia to walk into the kitchen.

"Heavens! What is that smell?" Freed cried.

"It doesn't matter. Let's leave, now," Ava said, rushing past her sister and the captain of the Thunder Legion.

"Where to, my lady?" Freed asked. Ava froze in the middle of the hall and swallowed thickly again.

"I don't know. I suppose back to the Guild Hall...Just...anywhere but here," Ava said.

"If it is alright with you, my lady, I'd like to offer my own abode for you to use as you will until Laxus returns." Ava smiled gently at Freed and nodded.

"I appreciate that. Thank you. Sorry for inconveniencing you." Freed shook his head, smiling gently.

"Should we take anything?" Freed asked. "While the house looks as though no person has lived here in many years, many of the items could hold some kind of sentimental value to Laxus."

"If Laxus wanted anything from this house, he would've taken it when he abandoned the building. It's not our place to do anything here. We've already done enough just by being here. Now let's go." With that, Ava, Freed and Sylvia left the house behind and headed back into Magnolia. Freed kept glancing from Ava and back over his shoulder at the house.

 _"What could she have seen in the house to cause her such unrest?"_ Freed wondered. _"Laxus, I hope you'll forgive me. But I'll have to investigate on my own."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freed decides to investigate exactly what Ava found in the old Dreyar house to make her want to leave so suddenly, and learns more than he intended.

"Are you sure we should be doin' this?" Bickslow asked as he followed his leader into the gaping door hole of Laxus' old house. His babies had been left at home to rest for the night.

"Not entirely. But when Miss Ava was here, she saw something that caused her to do nothing than want to leave. And while I doubt there's anything actually living in this place now, it's best to have at least some backup just in case," Freed explained as he lead his teammate down the hallway and into the kitchen. Bickslow covered his mouth.

"Gosh! What's that smell?!"

"My guess would be a dinner left to rot for at least seven years," Freed said as he turned towards the basement door. He could see the edge of the ring of light at the base and gripped the hilt of his sword. "Looks like whatever Miss Ava saw is in the basement."

"I'm right behind ya, man," Bickslow said as Freed began to descend the stairs.

"Tread cautiously. It would appear that the stairs are rotting away," Freed warned as he stepped off the last stair and picked up the flashlight Ava had dropped.

"Roger," Bickslow replied as he descended and stood next to his leader. Freed began turning the flashlight over the room, seeing the same sight Ava had seen earlier.

"What is this? Some kind of laboratory?" Freed muttered as he moved further into the room, catching sight of the entrance to another room off to the side. He peered inside and his eyes widened at the sight. Spread over at least a dozen tables were trays of smaller lacrima than the ones in the other room, syringes, scalpels, dozens of silver trays full of…

…Bones.

The trays were stacked atop each other but it was painfully obvious that something else had been the victims of these experiments. He could make out the smaller skeletons on mice and rats, but the further back in the room he went, the bigger the bones became.

"Heavens…" Freed breathed as he peered into one of the last trays, only to jump back upon realizing he was looking at a skeletal human hand, the bones of the middle finger having been engorged to an almost unrecognizable size from the lacrima crystal glittering in a crack along the bone.

"This is a new kind of creepy," Bickslow said as he stepped into the room.

"Indeed. From how it appears, a member of Laxus' family was performing lacrima-based experiments on everything from rats to humans," Freed said, gesturing to the bones in the tray before him.

"Well…I don't sense any souls in here. So there wasn't anyone murdered here for it. Likely the one responsible either got this crap from a hospital where amputations are frequent or grabbed them off already dead bodies that had been donated to science."

"Well…that's somewhat of a relief…But then…"

"Looks like the table over there was rigged up for a really small kid. No spirits over there so whoever they are, they're still alive," Bickslow said.

"So that means that this is likely where Laxus' father implanted the lacrima in him, wouldn't you agree?" Freed asked, backing away from the grotesque scene before him and heading back to his teammate.

"I think so." Freed directed the light up at the ceiling, which was bare, revealing the pipework of the kitchen.

"I think I've seen enough," Freed said as he turned and headed up the stairs, Bickslow quick to follow. The taller man shut the door to the basement, only to have the massive thing fall off its hinges and make several loud noises as it tumbled down the stairs, breaking some as it went.

"Oops."

"Well done Bickslow," Freed said flatly before the two left the house.

 

Ava leaned back a little in her seat, turning a communication lacrima between her hands.

"You gonna use that thing?" Sylvia asked as she appeared and sat down next to her sister on Freed's couch.

"I don't know," Ava sighed as she set the crystal down in her lap. "I'm almost afraid to. What if he realizes it's me and breaks his own lacrima, if he's even carrying one? What if I call and it turns out he's…" Ava bit her top lip and heaved another sigh before setting the lacrima down on the floor and leaning back in her seat.

"You would've known if he was dead," Sylvia assured. "And most dragons mate for life to one." Ava shot a look at her sister before the two began to giggle. The two stopped when the sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the house.

"Welcome home Freed," Ava called as Freed stepped by the living room door, causing the mage to jump in surprise.

"My lady, I would've thought you'd be asleep by now. With it being so late and you having traveled so far."

"I couldn't sleep I'm afraid. Don't worry, by tomorrow night, I'll be tired enough to sleep. Although, you do bring up a good question Freed. You're out very late yourself and the way you're sneaking around your own home is almost reminiscent of a teenager caught out after curfew." Sylvia giggled as Freed's mouth opened and closed like a fish on a riverbank as he searched for an explanation.

"Ah…well…that is…I mean…That is to say…" Sylvia giggled a little harder as Ava crossed her legs and her arms, very much looking like a mother waiting for an explanation as to why her child was out past curfew, yet wearing a smirk that said she knew exactly why.

"You were investigating the old house, weren't you? You and Bickslow both?" Ava asked. Freed's jaw simply dropped at that point.

"How did you…?" Ava tapped her nose.

"It's easy to pick up a scent when you're a Dragon Slayer." Freed's eyes went wide.

"You my lady?!" he asked. Ava nodded.

"And before you ask, yes, Laxus knew I was a Slayer but that's not why he married me. He married me of his own accord and after learning the ways of my village for six years. My abilities were simply a bonus."

"A second bonus is Lightning and Water are very compatible," Sylvia chimed in before she yawned widely. "Well Ava, good luck with whatever you're planning to do tonight. Freed, we'd best get some sleep." The rune mage nodded, still somewhat out of it as his mind continued to absorb the news of Ava being a Dragon Slayer. "Come on now," Sylvia said as she grabbed Freed by the jacket on her way out. "Night Ava!'

"Good night you two," Ava called as her sister and Freed vanished from sight. She bent down and picked up the lacrima crystal again. "If anything…I should try to tell him I'm at least safe…" She gripped the crystal a little, allowing her magic to flow into it and her focus centered on her husband's energy.

The crystal warmed in her hand, telling her he was answering her call. Her eyes snapped open as she held her breath. An entire month since seeing her husband suddenly made her feel self-conscious of the fact that her hair probably looked like a mess and she probably looked tired.

The crystal turned black and Ava turned on a light lacrima nearby, but it changed nothing of the scene.

"Laxus?" she called. She heard a groan from the crystal and heard sounds like someone pulling something from a bag and she smiled when her husband's sleeping face came into view, his hand gripping the crystal tightly.

"Mnnn…not yet honey…tired." Ava's heart melted a little when she saw he was sleeping on the met he'd usually bring on all the jobs they used to go on together. He would bring it when he came back to their little beach-side cottage but once he was home, he'd sleep on a bed with her. A blush rose to her face thinking of the last time they'd used that bed together.

"Laxus, honey. Will you wake up for me, please?"

"Need sleep," Laxus groaned sleepily, bringing the crystal closer to him and nuzzling against it as if she were what was in his grasp, rather than a magic stone. Ava smirked deviously.

"Oh look, Natsu Dragneel and Grey Fullbuster have shown up all of a sudden," she said flatly. Laxus snarled in his sleep. "Oh my. Do you feel a breeze? Oh no, never mind. All my clothes seem to have vanished. Ooh-la-la." Laxus snapped awake, lightning flashing in his eyes as he shot to his feet and looked around wherever he was.

After a moment, he sat down properly and cast a glare at the crystal in his hand that would've been terrifying if he wasn't still half-asleep. Ava giggled a little.

"That was a dirty trick Ava."

"It woke you up though. Where are you?" Laxus covered a yawn and flicked his wrist, sending a lightning bolt at his dying campfire.

"Um…the woods…about a day or two's walk from home," he said, rubbing at his eyes.

"Well you should probably forget that trip and head for Magnolia. Because I'm not at the cottage." Laxus blinked, confused, before pieces began to reconnect in his exhausted brain and he slapped his forehead. "Forget you told me to come here? I'm at Freed's right now. The address you left at the Guild was incorrect so Sylvia and I figured we'd come here for the time." Laxus grit his teeth and snarled, more at himself than anything else. "Honey?"

"I'm so sorry. I guess everyone told you what I did?"

"Only Freed brought it up as far as in front of me. You tried a takeover…from your own grandfather? Can I ask why?" Laxus sighed.

"I wanted you to say you were a proud member of the Fairy Tail family. In recent years, the Guild's been filling up with people who just sit around, get drunk and stare at the request board, never taking one, bunch of freeloaders. I wanted them out so we could have a Guild that not only was a family, but really was the best it could be. Like your Gran once said, we're only as strong as our weakest link, right?" Ava smiled and shook her head. "There's also the fact that brawls break out on almost a daily basis and if we ever tried to have a little one, I'd hate for you to be involved in one." Ava raised an eyebrow before chuckling.

"Good point. Gran said it can be a bad thing if a mage uses too much magic before the baby absorbs enough," she agreed. "So, you gonna head back here, show me our home?"

"Of course. I'll head back now."

"Go back to sleep and come back in the morning. Even if you left right now, it'll take a week to get back home, won't it?"

"Not if I go directly through the Woodsea, it'll only take three days tops," Laxus said as he got up and began packing up what he could one-handed. Ava bit her lip.

"Be careful if you're going that way. Seriously, you can easily get lost in that place."

"I will be, don't worry. And if I do end up lost, I'll just teleport back home."

"Don't. You know your body can't handle teleporting multiple times or over long distances, you could lose and arm like that," Ava said with a snap of her fingers.

"Alright, alright, I won't do it that much," Laxus promised before tying up his bedroll, using his teeth to secure it.

"Alright. I'll be waiting. I love you." Laxus released the strap from his mouth and smiled at his wife.

"I love you to Ava."

"Good night. Oh and as far as being involved in a brawl, I almost got in one with the She-Devil and Titania Erza today." Laxus' eyes went wide as Ava hung up and set the lacrima aside, laughing to herself as she leaned back further in the couch's cushions. "Three days huh? Not too long to wait. But maybe…I can find something to make for him for when he comes home…" The lacrima lit up again, Laxus trying to contact her again. She knew he was going to explode about the brawl she'd mentioned so she'd just have to wait a little bit for him to calm down. While she did, she thought back to their earlier conversation. "A little one of our own? I'm looking forward to that too." The lacrima glowed brighter and Ava sighed before answering. Laxus didn't look calm in the least and opened his mouth to yell…

"You yell, I hang up," Ava warned. That managed to get him to calm down some.

 

Freed woke the next morning to a smiling Ava staring out the window, still holding the lacrima in her hand.

"Good news Freed, Laxus is on his way home," Ava reported with a smile. "Three days and he'll be in Magnolia again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Whoop! Another chapter down. I hope everyone is still enjoying it. That beginning freaked me out a little bit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laxus is on his way home and Ava meets more people from the Guild. But then fate sends them all on a path that could lead to absolute destruction.

The first thing Ava noticed upon arriving at the Guild Hall the next morning was Mirajane watching as the resident artist, an orange-haired man with a rather large torso named Reedus, drew a chart of interconnected names, several of which, Ava recognized as Dark Guilds Laxus had mentioned to her, including his father's Guild, Raven Tail.

"Not exactly the sight one would want to see arriving," she commented as she came up next to Mirajane.

"Yes, but the Dark Guilds have been more active as of late and I thought it might be a good idea to look at which Guilds were connected to whom." Ava nodded.

"Understood. If the Guilds causing trouble are all connected to at least one Guild in particular, we could try figuring out what exactly that Guild in particular would want," Ava said, looking to the Thunder Legion. Freed hummed in thought as he tapped his finger on his chin.

"However, there's a chance that the Guilds causing trouble could have more than one Guild connecting them. At that point, we may need to try looking into the members," he muttered.

"Let's hope it doesn't get to that," Ava said as Lucy, Grey, Erza and Happy arrived, Happy riding on top of the head of a pink-haired, widely smiling teenager dressed in a black vest lined in orange, white baggy pants that were tied off at his calves with black fabric. On the waist, he wore two pieces of black fabric on the front and back, almost making it look like a skirt and he also wore a pair of plain black sandals.

"Get to what?" Lucy asked. "Hey wait a second, you're the girl from yesterday...I saw you just before I left...Anna, was it?"

"Close, Ava," Ava corrected. "Don't worry about messing it up, many people do at first." Ava moved to the blonde and extended her hand. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Avastasia Dreyar, I'm Laxus Dreyar's wife." Lucy smiled and took the hand, giving it a firm shake.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia, I'm-"

"A celestial Wizard, correct? Laxus told me about you. I must say, after hearing Laxus talk so much about them, I'm excited to see your Spirits in person."

"Wait...Laxus talked about me?" Lucy asked. Ava nodded.

"I understand your surprise. If Laxus acted harshly towards you, I apologize. But it's usually dragon nature to be more cold towards people they aren't used to being around. But Laxus usually warms up to people who prove their worth to him. Another way to get on a Dragon Slayer's good side is a fine, hearty meal or being their Mate."

"Wait a sec!" the pink-haired boy said. "You're hitched to Laxus?" Ava nodded. "Sweet! Name's Natsu Dragneel!" Ava smiled and shook his hand.

"Wonderful to meet you Natsu, Laxus tells me you're a Dragon Slayer too, right?" Natsu nodded.

"Now, going back to what the heck that is?" Lucy asked, pointing at the chart.

"Apparently, Mirajane was concerned with the recent activity of the Dark Guilds and wanted to see if there were any connections."

"And we should be strengthening relations with our fellow Guilds," Mirajane added as Reedus began painting certain blocks in the chart red to signify they'd been active.

"There's far more Dark Guilds than I thought," Erza commented as Reedus circled three Guild names in the middle and the group moved to face the chart again.

"And what's the big circle in the middle mean?" Grey asked.

"I know what it is!" Juvia cried as her hand shot up. Grey leapt a few feet into the air and almost landed on Bickslow's foot had he not stepped back.

"I think I do too," Sylvia said. "Considering what Laxus has told us, they're the Balam Alliance, right?"

"Baram Alliance," Juvia corrected.

"Right. Well, either way...Looking at the chart, it looks like most of the Guilds linked to the Oracion Seis are the ones who've been acting up lately." Ava nodded.

"Quite troubling," Freed mentioned.

"There was also Ghoul Spirit that the Thunder Legion took out on their own," Mirajane said. Ava raised an eyebrow to Freed, who suddenly found his boots to be of the highest interest while his cheeks burned crimson. Ava rolled her eyes and returned to the chart.

"The only independent Guild on this chart is Raven Tail," the raven-haired girl said. Sylvia nodded.

"You two know about this Guild?" Mirajane asked. The two nodded.

"Laxus showed an interest in it and so when he wasn't home, we scoped out what we could without joining," Sylvia said.

"Which was another reason Laxus wanted me here," Ava continued. "Apparently, our scoping attracted his father's attention."

"What can you tell us about it?" Mirajane asked.

"Like I said, we tried scoping what we could without joining. With that in mind, what we managed to find out was the location of the Guild Hall and a few of the members' names. According to our information, the newest recruit is a Flare Corona. Aside from that, we know little else," Ava said with a sigh.

"Yea. But what could the Oracion Seis be doing that would make all their underlings make such a ruckus," Sylvia asked, mostly to herself.

"That question is exactly what myself and three other Guild Masters discussed last night," Makarov said as he appeared at the bar.

"Oh good morning Master," Mirajane greeted.

"What do you mean by that, Gramps?" Sylvia asked.

"I mean that last night, the Masters of Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Cait Shelter and myself all decided that the Oracion Seis must be wiped out."

"Wiped out Master?" Freed asked. Makarov nodded.

"Sweet! My babies and I have been dying for another fight against a Dark Guild!" Bickslow cheered. "Wipe 'em out. Wipe 'em out!" the babies cheered.

"Bickslow, don't let your hubris get in the way of reason," Freed chastised.

"What? There's only six members in the Seis, right? Easy as pie."

"Not even close," Ava said, shaking her head. "There might be only six, but even one of them could make the lot of you and Laxus look like a bunch of children. Heck, they could make the entirety of Fairy Tail look like little kids. The only person Laxus has told me about that I can think of having a chance against them is that...oh what's his name? The Crush Magic guy?"

"Gildarts?" Freed offered. Ava snapped her fingers with an affirmative nod.

"That's why Fairy Tail will join a coalition of magical Guilds," Makarov announced.

"A coalition?!" some of the assembled members asked surprised while one specifically sounded more angry than curious. Ava rolled her eyes.

"Male Slayers," she muttered.

"Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scales and Kait Shelter. These four Guilds will select members to represent them in the allied force. And together we will work to take down the enemy.

"But we can do it ourselves Gramps!" Natsu spoke up. "In fact, I could probably even do it alone." Ava rolled her eyes again as Erza knocked Natsu on the head.

"Don't be a fool! The Master is wise to consider the long-term consequences," the redhead snapped.

"Hold up a second here," Lucy jumped in. "We're only talking about six people, SIX! Are they seriously all that terrifying?!" Ava nodded.

"So who will be going?" Ava asked.

"Master, the Thunder Legion is more than willing to take part in this," Freed offered, stepping forward.

"Good to hear. Because the Thunder Legion is just who I had in mind. As well as Team Natsu. I'll give you until noon to get your supplies together and get on the road." The Master handed Ava a slip of paper with an address written on it. "That's the rendezvous spot. Think you and your sister will be alright?" Ava cast a hard look at the man.

"I may be a girl and new to your knowledge, but I can more than handle myself, Sylvia as well. Believe me." With that, Ava turned her back to the Master and headed for the doors. "We should be just fine, thank you Gramps." With that, Ava left. The Thunder Legion looks at each other before Freed bowed to the Master and followed after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Wow. Is it just me or does it seem like Ava's kinda ticked with Makarov? Well, we'll learn more in the next chapter. Please leave a comment, kudos, bookmark, anything to tell me if you like it so far. If there's something you don't like, let me know. See ya next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava joins the Alliance and is pushed to her limits with flirts as well as meets a few key allies.

Lucy let out another sigh as the wagon gave a harsh jolt, sending a highly-motion-sick Natsu to the floor of the vehicle.

"I know I've said this before, but I have a really bad feeling about this mission," the blonde said. "And why am I even here?! I'm not all that strong!"

"You managed to beat me Cosplayer," Bickslow teased from his seat in the driver's bench next to Freed. Ava and Sylvia were riding their horses next to the wagon, being mindful to stay away from the mountain of suitcases Erza had hitched to the back. Erza, Grey, Happy and Evergreen were all seated in the back of the wagon, all trying to make sure that if Natsu really did get sick, he didn't blow chunks on their shoes.

"Stop calling me that," Lucy snapped.

"I think it suits ya," Bickslow argued, leaning back in his seat with his fingers interlocking behind his head. "Yea. Suits ya, suits ya." The babies cheered as they swirled around in the wagon. Ava giggled as Nym snuggled into her shoulder before flying around with the others again.

"Bickslow's nicknames aside, Lucy," Freed began, turning in his seat to face her as best he could. "From what I can understand about Celestial Magic, it takes a great amount of magical power to summon Zodiac Spirits, especially one after another. You managed to summon two Zodiac Spirits in the same fight against Bickslow during Fantasia." Ava's eyes widened.

"Two?! In one day?!" Bickslow nodded and Ava pulled on her reins, making the horse move behind the wagon so she could see Lucy clearly. "Lucy, my family has had a few Celestial Wizards through the years. The most recent one to try becoming one was my aunt who could only summon Pisces for a few moments before her magical power was completely drained. She couldn't even use a simple defensive spell for a week after. And my family has never had a history of having a weak wizard among us. So believe me, Celestial magic is far from weak."

"Exactly," Freed agreed. "And we're here because Master believed we'd be the best team to take down the Oracion Seis." Natsu groaned as he rolled over onto his back.

"I don't care! I just...wanna...get there." Natsu jerked to the side of the wagon and started vomiting over the side, earning a disgusted look from Ever as she began fanning herself. Ava smiled pitifully as Sylvia moved to Natsu's side and patted his shoulder gently, being careful to avoid being thrown up on.

"We'll be there soon, Natsu," Sylvia said gently.

"Speaking of teams," Grey spoke up. "Why are you three even bothering to try helping us? Last time I checked, you guys didn't like us too much." Grey shot a glare at Bickslow as he spoke.

"There's five of us now," Ava said gently. "And as for why Sylvia and I are here...Well...My home village is only about three days walk from the edge of the Woodsea and when I last spoke to Laxus, he said he'd be cutting through here to come back home. So a part of me is hoping we'll run into each other during this. As for Freed and the others..."

"The Thunder Legion was notably absent during many of Fairy Tail's goings-on in the last couple of years and speaking of recent events I felt it would only be right for us to take a more active role in the Guild," the green-haired leader said as he snapped the reins leading to the massive purple pig pulling the wagon.

"Aside from that, the Thunder Legion has had more experience with taking down Dark Guilds," Ever said.

"Agreed," Freed said with a nod. "As a result it's only natural we assist you in this endeavor." After a few seconds, Freed shifted in his seat and made a slight humming noise.

"What's up?" Bickslow asked.

"Nothing. Just a slight feeling of impending doom," the leader said dismissively.

"There it is!" Happy cheered as he leapt on top of Bickslow's head and pointed at the rooftop just visible over the treetops. "The rendezvous spot!"

"Good eye, Happy," Ava praised as the small caravan began to turn the corner to see the massive building stretch out before them. As the wagon neared, a slight creaking sound echoed in Ava's ears. She gasped and her horse nickered, sensing a shift in her rider's emotions. Sylvia's bobbed her head and shook her mane. Ava looked back and saw the back wheels turning oddly. "Freed! Stop!" she yelled. Freed yanked on the reins but the creaking turned to a groan and before he could get the wagon to stop, the back axle broke, sending the wheels flying and the back end crashed into the dirt, causing the riders to slide up against the back wall. Natsu all but leapt out of the wagon and vomited again from the movement.

"Wipeout!" Bickslow laughed loudly. Ava shook her head as the two drivers stood up and looked inside the wagon.

"Is everyone unharmed?" Freed asked as he reached a hand in to help Ever out.

"Not exactly unharmed but nothing too badly damaged. Just bruises," the brunette said as she hopped down. Bickslow helped pull Lucy and Grey out as Freed offered a hand to Erza, only to be ignored by the red-faced redhead.

"Thanks," Lucy said as she brushed off her clothes.

"What happened exactly?" Grey asked. Sylvia got off her horse and bent down to glance under the wagon.

"Looks like Erza might've done something wrong with hooking up her things," the blonde reported. Grey moved over to check as well. He noticed Sylvia's hair shining in the light and couldn't help but think it looked rather pretty like that. He snapped back to the issue at hand and looked at the axel. Sure enough, Erza's hook that had kept her wagon of suitcases following them had worn through the wood of the axel as they drove.

"Great. Now we're gonna have to walk back to Magnolia," Grey groaned.

"Not really. There's plenty of trees around, we can always make another axel," Ava said. "However, I must ask what is so important in all those suitcases that all of them had to be brought?" the raven finished, looking to Erza for an answer as the redhead picked up the handle leading to her wagon and began to pull with ease.

"Private property, now let's move," she said. "We're keeping the other Guilds waiting."

"Maybe it's extra armor," Bickslow offered with a shrug. Ever shook her head.

"It wouldn't be necessary. Erza stores all her armor and weapons in a basically infinite pocket dimension. And keeping them in a suitcase would only complicate putting them on," the brunette commented. "So just what is in those things?"

"No idea," Ava said as she got off her horse. "But she is right, we shouldn't keep the other Guilds waiting." Sylvia nodded and took her own horse by the reins as her sister did.

"Lady Ava, why don't you-"

"I'll not take a luxury my teammates can't have," Ava said simply. "If you all are forced to walk, I will walk too. Aside from that, it's not too far."

Once outside the doors leading inside, Sylvia and Ava tied up their horses and Erza let her suitcases rest beside the animals before the group headed inside. The entrance hall was dark, only lit by candles.

"Great, another creepy old mansion," Lucy groaned.

"I believe it's the second home of Blue Pegasus' Master, Bob," Erza informed.

"I don't want to know how you know that," Ava commented, looking around, but even with her enhanced senses, it was too dark to make out anything more than the almost overwhelming smell of cologne and perfumes. Some were fresher than others but they still made the woman's nose crinkle in disgust by the combination. Soon enough, the candles began to burn brighter, revealing the interior of the massive structure. The first floor walls were made of pink brick with large golden hearts on thick white boards just under the second floor. The second floor was mostly just a wrap around the entrance hall with a golden railing.

"Bob? Oh yea...him," Grey groaned, almost like he was going to be sick. "He...makes me feel funny." Sylvia bit her lip and patted Grey's shoulder gently.

"Grey, be nice," Erza warned. "Master Bob may be a little eccentric but he does deserve our respect."

"Yea, eccentric," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes. Natsu groaned from his place on the floor.

"Just...tell me when we get there guys," he whined, trying to hold in the urge to vomit again.

"Okay, we're there!" Happy called as Ava and Sylvia looked back at him.

"He's still motion sick?" the raven-haired girl asked.

"Yes! They're here at last!" said a cheerful voice. He was echoed by a deeper one and a slightly higher one repeating his final two words and a tambourine rattling. Suddenly, the lights went out and someone started snapping their fingers. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Hello!"

"Hello!"

"Fairy..."

"Fairy..."

"Tail..."

"Tail..."

"Wizards!" All three voices said at once as they appeared at the foot of the massive staircase at the end of the hall and a massive spotlight shone down on them. "We're so glad you came."

"We are..." said the first of the trio as he stepped forward. In the light, Ava could see he had orange hair and wore a blue shirt. The shorter male next to him was blonde and dressed in pink. The final of the three was dark-skinned and dressed in gold with part of his hair up in a ponytail.

"The Blue Pegasus..."

"Elite crew," the dark male continued before they all spoke at once with practiced ease.

"The Trimens." The lights came on normally and Ava sighed as she shook her head, remembering what Laxus had mentioned of the flirtatious trio. She noticed the three of them were dressed in similar black suits with the Blue Pegasus symbol marked in the same color as their shirts on their left shoulder.

"Hundred Knight Hibiki," the blue-shirted one spoke.

"Holy Knight Eve," said the blonde Trimen.

"Still Knight Ren," the dark-skinned male finished.

"The Trimens from Blue Pegasus..." Lucy breathed. "Wow. That is so cool."

"What exactly is so cool about three guys who flirt with anything that breathes?" Sylvia asked.

"What I mean is they're the hottest wizards around now. In fact, Hibiki Lates is always in Sorcerer Weekly's Top 10 Most Eligible Wizard Bachelors' list. He's been in the top three for the last few months."

"That doesn't give me any reason to think they're cool," the Water Wizard replied, raking her fingers through her hair.

"Would you look at those guys?! I feel totally underdressed!" Grey cried from where he'd dragged Natsu away for a slightly more private conversation. Somewhere along the way, he'd lost his orange hoodie and white t-shirt on the floor.

"Well they aren't," Lucy said pointedly.

"The more you speak like that, Lucy," Sylvia sighed, shaking her head. "There's more to being a wizard than looks. I hope you know that."

"I know. But there's nothing wrong with having good looks and magic." Sylvia rolled her eyes and shook her head again. The Trimens smirked and neared the group of ladies. Sylvia squeaked and leapt behind her sister as she used her left hand to push a piece of hair behind her ear, making sure her wedding ring was visible.

"I've heard tales of your beauty, and they're true," Hibiki said, snapping his fingers to point at Erza.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Titania," Eve said as he got down on one knee and spoke in a voice that almost seemed timidly shy.

"Please, come with me," Ren said, placing a hand on Erza's shoulder as Hibiki took Ava's hand and lead her away from Sylvia. Freed moved forward but Ava shot a look over her shoulder and he froze, hand on the hilt of his sword and keeping a wary eye on the Trimen member. Eve grabbed a sofa out of nowhere and brought it out so the two women could sit down as Ren walked away. Both Ever and Lucy could only stare in surprised awe as Hibiki dropped down to one of his knees and offered Erza a moist towlette.

"Would you like to freshen up?" Eve brought over a table and sat down next to the girls as Hibiki pulled out an ice bucket and a bottle of champagne from nowhere and sat down next to Ava.

"Or maybe something to eat?" the blonde offered.

"No, thank you," Ava said plainly.

"Ah but there's cake, want some?" Ava rolled her eyes and shook her head

"No, thank you," Erza repeated.

"Please, have a seat," Ren said as he appeared behind Lucy and Sylvia, wrapping his arms around their waists. Ava smirked as the man lead the blondes to another couch and table. "Oh wow, you two are almost too cute," he said taking a lock of Sylvia's hair and curling it around his finger. Grey noticed the action and glared at the man.

"No joke, what is the deal with these cornballs?" he asked. Natsu, having finally gotten over his motion sickness straightened up.

"I missed something, who are they exactly?" he asked, not noticing that Ava shot him a glance and smirked.

"It's a pleasure to meet a future ally," Erza said politely to Eve.

"Indeed," Ava said. "I look forward to working together." Across the floor, Ren set two tall glasses on the table in front of Sylvia and Lucy.

"Here, you can have it if you want but it's not like I made it for you two," he said sitting between them.

"Now you're trying to be coy," Sylvia sighed. Ava giggled and pushed another piece of hair behind her ear, an almost mischievous smirk lighting up her eyes.

"Where did this come from?" Hibiki asked, taking her hand again to look at the ring.

"Oh, my husband. Perhaps you know him, he's a wizard too. His name's Laxus Dreyar." Her smirk grew as Hibiki visibly paled. She pulled her hand away and stood up. "Now then, enough with the flirting acts. We're supposed to be here on some serious business, did no one at Blue Pegasus inform you of that or did you forget on the way here?" she snapped.

"Calm down, men." Ava jumped as Erza's eyes went wide. Lucy shivered at the silky-smooth voice. "Give these ladies some breathing room."

"Yes Ichiya sir!" Ren said as he stood up.

"Him...oh...dear..." Erza managed, sounding somewhat strangled. Ava looked at the redhead and noticed with a gasp that she was trembling worse than a dying leaf in a hurricane.

"Are you alright?" Ava whispered.

"It's been far too long Miss Scarlet," the man said as he became visible at the top of the stairs. He was dressed in a completely white suit, black loafers, a red cloth belt from which a number of corked vials hung and under his jacket he wore an orange shirt with a massive red bowtie.

"A long time...yes. I never expected to see you here," Erza said, still trembling even with Ava holding her arm. Sylvia looked up the stairs to see the man's face. He had a very squared jaw and a large nose and wild orange-red hair.

"Oh how I've missed you my sweet honey," he said in a low voice. "But don't cry, I'm here...Oh," he finished sensually. Everyone was absolutely silent for a few seconds before Sylvia took in a breath.

"Cover your ears!" Ava yelled. Everyone but the new arrival on top of the stairs did as told as Sylvia released an incredibly high-pitched, near-deafeningly loud scream. A pale blue magic circle appeared at her feet with swirling designs around the rim that looked like ocean waves and the inside of it looked like fish scales. The sound waves of her scream became a dusty-grey color as they moved through the air and an echo followed her voice, as it would many wizards when they used magic.

Natsu's eyes bugged as the sound pierced his eardrums, throwing his head back and letting out a yell of pain as the assault continued.

After a few moments, she dropped back down to the couch, panting for breath as she covered her eyes and shook her head.

"What an incredible parfum!" Ichiya cried.

"Sound Magic, another magic my family specializes in. Sylvia tends to tap into hers when she's terrified," Ava explained. "Got it out of your system?" Sylvia continued shaking in her seat but managed a shrug.

"I hate trolls!" she cried. Ava cooed in sympathy before moving over to her sister and wrapping the girl in a hug. Grey moved over to them and patted Sylvia's shoulder gently. Lucy put a hand on Sylvia's back, the same feeling of being creeped out by the man rushing through her.

"I do beg your pardon miss but what did you call me?" Ichiya asked as he somehow maneuvered himself onto the railing down the stairs and landed on the toes of one foot at the end. The Trimens moved to stand off to his side, almost like a trio of sidekicks.

"I do believe she called you a troll," Ava said plainly. "And in all honesty I must agree. If there's one thing I've learned to hate it's over-aged, pot-belly men who still think every woman in the world finds them attractive. And trust me, I lived on a beach. I saw plenty."

"Watch yourself there, Miss," Hibiki warned.

"My name is Avastasia Dreyar and I'm a married woman. If you call me 'Miss' again, I'll personally beat your face into a pulp, see if you're still on that Sorcerer Weekly list after." Ren's eyes narrowed but before anyone could make another move, the Thunder Legion moved in between Ava and the men.

"I'd advise you men step down," Freed warned.

"Ava's our leader's wife, which means she and Sylvia get our protection just as Laxus would," Evergreen said, snapping open her fan and moving it delicately.

"Ready babies?" Bickslow asked. "Ready!" 

"Stand down," Ava said and the Thunder Legion relaxed some, still standing between the raven-haired woman and the Trimens. "Now then, aren't we supposed to be discussing the strategy for taking down the Oracion Seis?" Ava snapped.

"We will have to wait until the other Guilds get here Dreyar," Ren growled out. Freed's hand went to his sword again.

"Listen up you Blue Pegasus playboy wannabes," Grey snapped, stepping forward, eyes narrowed almost dangerously as an icy cold mist spread from his feet. "You'd be wise to back off and leave these nice ladies alone, we clear?" To emphasize his point, Grey fisted his hands until he heard the satisfying popping from his knuckles.

"Clear as crystal, now gentlemen, take your leave," Ichiya said authoritatively. Natsu stepped next to the Ice Wizard.

"As if," Natsu snapped, fangs clacking together in his mouth as a warning.

"Aside from that, we came here on serious business," Freed pointed out.

"If we left, I doubt you pretty boys would be able to fight at all, let alone protect the girls!" Grey snarled.

"You wanna find out?" Ren challenged

"Yea, we're real tough pal," Eve agreed.

"Fight?!" Natsu grinned as he popped his knuckles. "Count me in!"

"Everybody needs to calm down this instant," Erza spoke up.

"Where'd the troll go?" Sylvia asked suddenly. Ava hummed in confusion but sure enough, Ichiya was gone.

"My honey," Ichiya said smoothly, sending a series of shivers down Erza's spine as he appeared right behind her, sniffing her long red hair. "Your sweet parfum, it still drives me crazy," he moaned, making Sylvia and Ava cringe. Erza spun around and caught his cheek with her fist.

"You stay far away from me!" she screamed as the troll-like man went flying.

"Man!" Ichiya cried as he flew towards the door where a lone figure stood, the light turning him into nothing more than shadows. His hand came up and caught Ichiya by the head. In seconds, the entire appendage was covered in pale green ice. Grey took a quick gasp in recognition.

"You dare greet us with this flying bafoon? Lamia Scale deserves more respect. As a matter of fact, we insist on it," the man said coldly, his grip tightening on the ice around Ichiya's head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: And here we go for Chapter 4. Can anyone guess why Ava's acting up? Leave a comment, kudos or bookmark please! Any feedback helps! Love ya'all!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava meets more allies and a very special little someone.

The man lowered his arm and everyone's eyes adjusted to the outside light again. The first thing Ava noticed about him was that he had silvery hair despite looking no older than Grey or Natsu. He was dressed in a white coat lined with black fur over a red shirt with a pink stripe down the front and white pants that were decorated with dark circular patterns.

"Lyon?" Grey said, quite surprised.

"Grey," Lyon replied, eyes narrowing at the dark-haired teen.

"You know this person?" Sylvia asked.

"We have a long history, mainly because we trained under the same master," Grey explained quietly.

"Hey, so you went and joined a Guild after all, huh?" Natsu called, cheerful as ever. Lyon huffed before throwing Ichiya back towards the group. Acting on instinct, Grey grabbed hold of Sylvia and leapt to the side, clutching the girl to his chest as the ice around Ichiya's head shattered on contact with the floor. The man continued to fly, snot and tears streaming down his face, until he rolled to a stop in front of the Trimens.

"Don't hurt the face!" he cried. Sylvia shuddered, both in revulsion of the orange-haired man but also in response to Grey placing a hand at the base of her neck between her shoulders.

"What is wrong with you?!" Grey roared, snapping back to face Lyon.

"He was the one who attacked me, Grey," Lyon retorted in a matter-of-fact tone as the Trimens stepped forward, making a bodily wall between Ichiya and the others.

"Watch it, that's our leader you're messing with, pal," Ren spat.

"How dare you!" Eve agreed with a nod.

"You and your men should just turn around and go home," Hibiki snapped.

"I suppose that means women can stay and fight?" asked a female voice as the red carpet under everyone's feet began to move and shift. "Marionette attack..." Ava stepped back. "Carpet Doll!" The carpet rose up, folding in such a manner that dark shadows created a smiling face similar to what Ava could recall seeing on carved pumpkins in her village as a child. The doll yanked Lucy off her feet and sent her flying into the air. Peppe shot out from his spot next to Bickslow and caught Lucy by the curl of her whip with his wing.

"You okay Cosplayer?" Bickslow asked as the doll set the poor girl down near Ava and the Thunder Legion. Lucy nodded and patted the doll in thanks.

"But what did...wait a second...I know that magic!" Lucy declared as she stood up. A young woman leaned against the doorway and giggled in a manner that almost bordered on wicked. She had bright blue eyes and long red hair that was so wild and messy that it almost looked like she'd had a long night of pleasure. She wore a pink dress that went down to her black sandal-like heels and a slit showed the expanse of her right leg up to her hip. A ruffle decorated not only the bottom of the dress but also the slit and the top of the bodice was lined with black silk. There were no straps or sleeves to hide her pale arms and a thin necklace decorated her collarbone and gold bangles clinked together on her right arm. "Sherry?! No way! You joined the Guild too?!" Lucy cried as Natsu moved closer to her and the Thunder Legion.

"You know this woman?" Freed asked, stepping in front of Ava and Lucy, hand on his sword.

"Yea. She's a comrade of Lyon's and last I checked was totally dead-set on getting in his bed," Lucy whispered. Ava nodded.

"That would explain the look she's going for. Probably trying to see if she can make him jealous or something," the raven-haired Water Wizard commented. Sherry giggled again and batted her long, black lashes.

"I was hoping you fairies hadn't forgotten who I am, but please do try to forget who I was, okie-dokie?" she said in an almost-slurring manner and ending on a high pitch note that made Ava cringe.

"And survey says, still crazy," Lucy muttered as Sherry flipped her hair.

"I have been born anew, by the power of love!" Ava pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why do I have the feeling I'm going to want to punch her lights out by the end of the day?" she asked.

"All she ever talks about is how the power of love does everything," Lucy said. "So if you do end up beating on her, let me know, I'll bring popcorn."

"More!" Ava snapped around to see Ichiya, hopping around on one foot and waving his arms as if trying to mimic a bird and nearing Erza, who noticed the troll-like man's approach. "I must breathe in more of your parfum!"

"Oh no," Erza groaned as a light appeared in her hand, turning into a long spear. "Stay back!" Before anyone could say anything, Erza slipped the tip past Ichiya and snagged the back of his jacket, getting enough leverage to lift him off his feet and keep him from nearing her.

"Let's go Lyon," Grey snarled as he released Sylvia and moved so he hid her from Lyon's view almost entirely.

"My pleasure," Lyon sneered with a smirk, cold mist beginning to appear at the feet of both ice mages.

"I could never love you," Sherry said to Lucy, earning a snarl from the girl.

"Well trust me, the feeling's mutual." Ava looked around and sighed before standing up and raising her hand, fingers ready to snap.

"Enough!" Ava and another voice said at the same time as Ava snapped her fingers and the newest arrival brought the end of a long staff with a blue crystal ball on the end down on the floor. Ava's eyes widened when she didn't feel any surge of magic power from her action. She stared at her fingers and a sudden panic made her breath shake for an instant before she looked over at Sylvia, who was preoccupied with the newest arrival. Ava looked for herself. The arrival was a man who was so large he had to duck somewhat to enter the door. He had tanned skin and reminded her more of a mountain than a man. He wore a blue-and-white striped cloth over his shoulders lined with golden tassels, green scaled armor covered his forearms, two black straps crisscrossed over his abdomen and vanished into a dark blue wrap around his waist that was decorated with white designs near the bottom and lined in gold. "We're here to work together as a group to destroy the Oracion Seis, this is not the time to be fighting among ourselves!" he yelled, his deep voice demanding not only attention but also respect and to be heeded.

"Yes Jura," Lyon said with a nod as the man came into the building.

"That's Jura?" Erza asked in disbelief.

"Hm...And here I thought he'd be taller," Ava joked with a smile. "But I'm not complaining. Having a Wizard Saint on our side will prove to be most advantageous." The Thunder Legion and Lucy nodded but Natsu just tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Huh?" Lucy rolled her eyes.

"He's kinda a big deal," she pressed, not noticing Sherry coming up to look at everyone.

"So...wait...nine from Fairy Tail and four from Blue Pegasus?" she said haughtily. "Hm. Funny. Our Guild only needed to send three." Ava glared at the woman.

"The Thunder Legion has experience taking down Dark Guilds, that's why they're here," she began. "Team Natsu has had a great number of victorious battles against dark wizards, my sister and I are powerful Water Wizards, and we mustn't forget about the others you left out of your little count. So in all, fifteen of Fairy Tail's very best are here to destroy the Oracion Seis. And you'd better mind your tone, young lady, unless you want to be in a world of pain as you discover just what exactly your Marionette Magic feels like."

"Oooh burn!" Pappa chuckled out.

"Get 'er Ava," Poppo chirped, both comments earning a dark look from Sherry. Ava felt a tug on her skirt and looked down at a teary-eyed Happy.

"They always forget about me but you counted me too...Not only that...But Bickslow's babies as well...Thank you Miss Ava," he said, big tears slipping down his cheeks and dripping off his whiskers.

"Aw Happy, you're a Guild member too, so of course I'd stand up for you," Ava said, bending down and petting the top of the cat's head, earning a little purr.

"Regardless of number, it seems we have representatives from three Guilds," Jura said, shooting a hard glare at Sherry at the beginning, making the redhead shrink a little into herself. "The members from Cait Shelter have yet to arrive."

"Yes and about that Guild," Ichiya said, perfectly calm despite the fact he was dangling from a speartip. "I hear they're only sending one."

"Just one member?" Erza asked, bewildered. Ava, Sylvia and the Thunder Legion looked to one another in confusion.

"Wait a moment!" Ava said. "We're up against the six wizards who make up a third of the Baram Alliance, right? This is a powerful group and they're only sending one?!"

"Then how crazy intense is this guy gonna be?" Lucy breathed. Ava chewed on her bottom lip just before a squeak of a scream followed by a sharp THUMP called her attention to a small child with long blue hair laying face-down in the doorway.

"Are you alright?!" Ava called as she rushed forward and knelt down beside the girl. The child groaned and blinked back some tears in her eyes as the tip of her button-like nose and her forehead began sporting bright red marks. The girl had beautiful brown eyes and was dressed in a little yellow-and-blue striped dress with blue shoes. On her ankles and biceps were thing white bands holding onto three pure white feathers each.

"Yes ma'am. I think so," the girl said as she and Ava dusted off the girl's front. Ava noticed the girl had a Guild Mark on her right shoulder: a blue cat with a second line making an X with the tail.

"You must be our Cait Shelter ally, am I correct?" The girl nodded and pushed some hair behind her ear before looking at the others.

"Hi…I…uh…" The girl's toes began drawing circles on the carpet. "I'm sorry I get here so late…I've…I'm Wendy Marvell from the Cait Shelter Guild…It's nice to meet all of you," she finished meekly. Ava stood up, smiled warmly and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Sylvia noticed the action and her eyes widened in realization, then she began chewing on her bottom lip worriedly.

"She's…not handsome," Ichiya commented.

"Nor is she a man, why should it matter?" Erza snapped as Ava shot a dark look at the man on the end of the spear.

"Wendy," Ren said slowly as if trying out the name.

"Marvell-ous," Eve said, eyes wide as he looked at the girl.

"Cute," Hibiki said as he popped his collar. Sylvia shot a look at him before moving closer.

"Hibiki, quick thing. If you want to go near that girl with flirtatious behaviors, be prepared to be strung up by your parts over a flaming pit. Because trust me, right now, Ava would be in the mood to do it. Especially saying this girl is probably half your age," she warned, making the man pale before stepping back and fixing his collar. "Good choice."

"Now then since all Guilds are present, we can begin," Jura said, just as calm as ever.

"He's not even phased by this?!" Grey cried, surprised.

"Obviously not," Lyon replied.

"What in the world is Cait Shelter thinking, sending a little girl on this kind of mission?" Ever asked.

"They must really be hurting for members if they send her here on her own," Sherry continued, looking the girl up and down.

"She isn't alone," came another female voice, this one sounding almost regal in nature. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions, gaudy trollop." Everyone looked past Wendy to see a white cat walk in on two legs, dressed in a beautiful red dress with long yellow sleeves and a pink bow tied to her tail. Her hands were resting in front of her and hidden by her sleeves overlapping each other.

"What in the world?" Grey said, eyes widening at the sight of the female cat.

"It's a cat," Lyon said shortly.

"Whoa…she's just like Happy," Natsu commented.

"Oh Carla," Wendy started, moving over to the cat and picking her up. "You followed me here?"

"Of course I did, you're far too young to be traveling unaccompanied, child," Carla said in a matter-of-fact, motherly tone. Ava smiled at the cat.

"Pretty kitty," the Trimens said in unison.

"You flirt with cats too?!" Lucy cried.

"Get some dignity!" Sylvia snapped.

"What a stupid cat, I'm not gaudy," Sherry muttered under her breath.

"That's your problem, lady?" Bickslow asked.

"Perhaps she doesn't realize what she's been called," Freed said calmly, barely noticing how Happy was hiding behind one of his legs and staring at the white cat in Wendy's arms. Carla turned her head and caught sight of the other cat and instantly, he stiffened, claws digging into Freed's boot as his fur stood on end.

"Thumpty-thump, thumpety-thump, thumpety-thump!" he whispered into the shoe in his grasp. Freed looked down at the cat on his leg.

"Something wrong?" he asked. Happy looked up and gasped in realization.

"Freed, you have a way with words, right? I'll give you my fish if you tell that vision I haven't been neutered yet," Happy offered, tail wagging side to side. Freed's eyes widened before he bent down to be nearly eye-to-eye with Happy.

"Happy, the last thing I think you want an initial conversation with a lady to consist of is the state of your…private affairs," he whispered.

"Then what should I talk about?"

"Perhaps your name, things you like, ask about what she likes, hobbies?" the rune mage suggested. Happy began wringing his paws and rubbing his face, trying to think of something to say.

"You love her, don't you?" Lucy teased, a grin all but splitting her face as she bent down to Happy's level, earning the attention of both males.

"That's my thing, copy-cat!" Happy yelled as Freed stood up. "And I don't look nearly as creepy as you when I do it!"

"Um…" Wendy said, bringing the attention back to her as she started chewing on her fingernail. "I'm sorry…I'm probably not what you were expecting…And I know I'm a lot younger than all of you…And I may not be much of a fighter but I can use all kids of support magic…so please, let me join the group! I'd be so embarrassed if you sent me back home," she pleaded before Carla batted the girl's hand away from her mouth before she could damage her nail.

"You'll never earn their respect if you can't show confidence child," she scolded.

"I'm sorry Carla," Wendy said, growing more and more nervous as the other members remained silent.

"I swear you'll drive me to catnip."

"I can't help it!" Wendy defended. Ava began petting Wendy's hair and the girl look up at her.

"Believe me, none of us are planning to send you back home. Everyone has a role to play in any group, as well as in life. We may not know it every moment of our life, but there is a reason we were born and we have every opportunity to fulfill it. Aside from that, the Oracion Seis are a strong Dark Guild that must be taken down, and any amount of support may be needed. As such, we're more than glad to have you with us Wendy. So perhaps we should start the introductions. I'm Ava Dreyar." Wendy smiled at the woman as Erza dropped her spear and stepped forward.

"And I'm Erza, it's wonderful to meet you Wendy. I apologize for my earlier hesitation. Please know no disrespect was meant, I was caught off guard is all." Wendy beamed at the woman.

"You're Erza right? Wow…"

"You're not quite the monster I thought you'd be," Carla said as Wendy set her back down. Happy took the opportunity to run over, paw raised up high.

"Ever heard of Happy the Catmander? Brace yourself because he's right here!" Carla gave him a look over before crossing her arms and turning her head away with a haughty sound. "She likes me. This must be destiny," Happy said, backing back into Freed's boot, excitement chocking his words until they barely even made a whisper.

"That was not the advice I gave him at all," Freed groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Let me try," Lucy whispered and Freed moved aside to let her try speaking with the blue-furred feline. "Destined to be rejected, she's totally ignoring you." Happy snapped around, a broad, bright grin on his face.

"Naïve comments like that prove you know nothing of women and their wild ways," he said. Lucy's shoulders stiffened as she too pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I really hate to tell you this, but I'm a woman," she hissed. Natsu let out a slight humming noise as he scratched at the back of his head.

"Thinking must be painful," Grey commented.

"It's so weird. I feel as if I've heard that little girl's name before," Natsu said as his face twisted into a scowl as he thought harder.

"Will you stop? It hurts just to watch you," Grey complained, feeling a slight headache coming on.

"Hey, can you remember her for me?" Natsu asked, relaxing some.

"Say what?!" the raven-haired man snapped as Sylvia giggled a little at the interaction.

"That girl's going to be gorgeous when she grows up," Ren said in a low voice.

"I almost don't wanna wait," Hibiki said, earning him a hard glare from Ava that made him step back some. "But that look certainly makes me want to wait...possibly forever."

"Now then," Ava said, her gentle, motherly look coming back to her face, "since all the Guilds are here, should we start planning our attack against the Oracion Seis?"

"Already done, Miss Ava," Ichiya said as he was slowly set down and tapped his foot on the floor. Instantly, a section of the floor vanished, being replaced with a lit-up stage that Ichiya jumped up onto. "And I shall be the one to reveal the plan…" Everyone looked at him expectantly, Sylvia hid behind Grey as the troll-like man stood perfectly still. "Right after I make a letter of the alphabet." With that, he waddled off.

"Great," Grey groaned. "He makes the letter 'poop' I'll make a new wagon and we're headed home."

"Sounds good to me," Sylvia agreed.

"We're rooting for you teacher," the Trimens cheered as they applauded.

"Pick a title!" Lucy snapped.

"And he shouldn't need a cheer squad to use the toilet!" Ava snapped as Wendy shuddered. Ava pulled the girl closer to her side almost protectively. Sylvia bit her lip again.

"If Laxus finds out that Ava was here at a time like this…oh, I'd be so dead! All I can really hope for is that she knows as well, and doesn't do anything stupid," the blonde thought as she shot a nervous glance at her sister and the young girl held to her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter 5 is up! Sorry about the mistake last chapter, my brain was partially fried. Either way, leave a comment, kudos or book mark please. See ya later!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan to take down the Oracion Seis comes together.

"Much better," Ichiya said cheerfully as he took his place back on the lit-up stage. "Now, the time has come to reveal our plan. Our first order of business is to destroy the Oracion Seis!"

"Got an idea that starts a little smaller?" Ava deadpanned.

"Yea, I don't think destroying them should be the first thing on our agenda," Sylvia agreed. "There's six of them...and twenty-four of us, right?" Ava nodded.

"However, Bickslow's babies need him there to give them orders, otherwise they can't fight offensively. And while Carla and Happy are also among our ranks, they can't use offensive magic either. They're good for getting the injured or captured to a designated spot," the raven-haired woman suggested, earning the attention of most of the room.

"What would you have in mind, Lady Avastasia?" Jura asked, turning towards her. Ava placed a finger on her chin in thought.

"Let's see...so if we have Happy and Carla running to and from us to a designated place when one of us is injured or if we capture one of the Seis, that takes out two of our twenty-four. Then Bickslow's babies leave us with seventeen to their six. And I'm willing to guess that your Support Magic specializes in healing, right Wendy?" Ava asked.

"Yes ma'am," Wendy said with a nod.

"Then I want you to run the medical center from here...So if there were a few people left to act as reinforcements, then we can split up the Seis so it's a two-on-one fight. But determining the best partners would depend entirely on who we find first and who would have the greatest advantage or disadvantage against whom. Not exactly easy to do when we're walking into a situation blind."

"I can remedy that," Hibiki said as he walked forward. He snapped his fingers and a series of golden buttons appeared next to him and a golden magic circle appeared facing him. He began pressing buttons, moving his fingers over them like a keyboard.

"That's Archive," Jura commented.

"Don't believe I've seen it in use before," Lyon said plainly.

"And it does what exactly?" Sherry snapped as six images appeared in front of Hibiki.

"It stores information such as these pictures of our enemies. Don't ask how we got them. We have limited information on them but we can figure out some of them..." the Trimen member said as he touched the first image, moved the others to the side, and stretch the image by touching the corners and pulling them away from each other. "First up is the snake wizard, Cobra." The man in the picture was tanned with wild red hair, dark, beady eyes and sharp fangs visible in his wide smirk. Wrapped around his body was a massive purple snake with bright green eyes. He wore a long white coat with silver bands on his biceps marked with a ruby, a red shirt and black pants.

"Beady eyes and a mischievous smirk, looks like trouble to me," Natsu commented.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," Grey and Lyon said in unison. Sylvia giggled some and looked to her sister who was staring at the image with narrowed eyes.

"Is there anything else we know?" Hibiki shook his head.

"Only that he has sharp senses and acts as a bodyguard to Brain, the leader. Here," Hibiki said as he shrunk down Cobra's image and pulled up another, this one of an older man with dark skin, silver hair and odd, black markings on his face. He wore a long white cloak and in his hand was a staff with a skull at the top decorated with feathers and beads and a massive crystal ball in the mouth. "We don't know what magic Brain uses." Ava nodded.

"And the others?"

"After Cobra, we have someone who probably uses speed magic, judging by his name, Racer." Hibiki pulled up another image. This one was blurry, but Ava could make out a long, pointed nose and racing glasses.

"I don't know what it is, but I don't like the looks of this guy," Grey said.

"I don't either," Lyon growled.

"Same here," Sylvia said.

"Hmm...Next?" Hibiki pulled up another image, this one of a woman with short, silvery-blonde hair dressed in a dress if one could call it that at all. The skirt was short and made of feathers, twin blue straps went up from the skirt to cup her breasts and slide down her back. Freed's face went red as he averted his eyes and put his hand up to cover the woman's scantily-clad body. "Now is not the time for that!" Ava snapped at the Trimen. Hibiki glared at her and Ava felt her flash of anger snap and shatter.

"Trust me, this is one of the Seis, Angel. She's a Celestial Wizard. Unknown place of origin, age, aliases, family, anything. Only that she murders people like a cat would kill a mouse."

"Hmm?"

"She'll toy with her target before she kills them," he said, eyes narrowing at the image.

"Is there a history between you and this Angel?" Ava asked.

"No," Hibiki said as he moved to the next image. Ava's brow arched and raised.

"Does he think I'm an idiot? I can tell that was a lie just now," Ava thought.

"Next is a man who'll wipe out an entire army unit if the price is right, Divine Eyes Hoteye. From what we know...he uses a type of Earth Magic that melts and liquefies earth and with that, he can form in into whatever shapes he wants." The man had very chiseled features, long red hair and was dressed almost like a priest in a long black robe with a white collar and massive red prayer beads on his neck.

"The guy kills for money?" Sherry whimpered.

"Turns my stomach," Jura growled.

"And finally, we have the last member. This guy we don't even know the powers of. His name's Midnight," Hibiki said, pulling up the last image of a young man with black hair with a white undertone, sound asleep on a floating rug dressed in a black sleeveless shirt and golden pants with black stripes.

"So...Those are the Oracion Seis..." Ava murmured as she pondered her options. "Hibiki, can you pull up Cobra's picture again please?" The man nodded and did as asked. "Judging by his name, he's not only a Snake Wizard, but also a Poison Wizard. So if my memory is right, that's made up of water and darkness so we'd need Light and or Fire Wizards to take him down easily. So Natsu, would you be willing to fight this guy?" Natsu pumped his fist.

"You bet I am!"

"You'll need a partner. So maybe someone who specializes in Light Magic. Ever, can your Fairy Magic work?" Ever nodded and Ava smiled.

"Wait a second! Natsu and I usually work together!" Lucy called out.

"True, but you're a Celestial Wizard like Angel. So I'd like it if you worked with someone to take her down, rather than Cobra." Lucy nodded. "And think of it like this, if you beat her, her contracts are void and you can collect her Spirits, right?" Lucy nodded. "Alright. Can anyone go with Lucy?"

"I will," Hibiki and Freed both said as they stepped forward. The Trimen shot a look at the green-haired mage.

"For right now, you two are the best options. Hibiki knows the most about these people apparently and Freed can use Darkness Magic which is a good offensive measure against light, so we'll leave this one open for now."

"As you wish my lady," Freed said with a nod.

"Then there's Hoteye...Jura, if I'm not mistaken you're called 'Iron Rock Jura' correct?" The Saint nodded. "And that means you solidify earth?" The man nodded again. "In that case, I want you and Sherry to handle Hoteye. Sherry's Marionette Magic could work on the earth and plants and help snare him."

"Wait! What about my beloved Lyon?!" Sherry cried, earning her a cold glare from Ava. "You're a married woman, you wouldn't know the pain of being separated from the one you love!"

"I do. Try being married for a year and most of the time, he's on jobs," Ava snapped. "If Racer really is a Speed Wizard, I want Sylvia on the team that takes him down. Her Water Magic can find him no matter where he is because blood is essentially water and if worse comes to worse, she can immobilize him." Sylvia nodded and Grey put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go with Sylvia. If I'm there I can make the ground icy so he'll slip and make capture easier." Ava nodded.

"Grey or Lyon is fine. The choice is Sylvia's."

"I'll go with...Lyon...I mean, we're here to not only bring down the Seis but also to strengthen relationships with other Guilds, right? So I'd like to get to know you better if I can, Lyon."

"I'd be delighted Miss Sylvia," he said with a gentlemanly nod. Sylvia shook her head.

"Hold it! Yea, Lyon and I both use Ice Make Magic, but he can only make animal-shaped things that move on their own, I can create inanimate objects," Grey objected. "Last time I checked, that meant I can make a wall if needed for defense and he can't."

"Fine, would you two be able to not argue long enough to take this one down?"

"I can, not sure he could," Grey jabbed.

"Mind yourself," Lyon warned.

"Enough! Now...That leaves Brain and Midnight. Bickslow and Erza, one of you will take on one of them. In my book, Bickslow should go after Brain and Erza after Midnight. My guess would be Brain has some kind of Telepathy or Telekinetic Magic. In that case, Bickslow's babies are immune to it as they'd only obey him. But if Brain does have telepathy, then we'd need someone who can keep it at bay until Bickslow's babies take him out."

"I can do it," Ren said, stepping forward. "I use Air Magic. If I can create a tornado or vortex and keep him distracted, then big guy over there can take him out, not that I couldn't do it on my own." Ava's eyes narrowed.

"Fine, you'll go with Bickslow. But keep up that cocky attitude of yours and you'll likely get yourself killed," she warned. "That leaves Erza's partner."

"Naturally, my honey shall go with her beloved Ichiya," Ichiya said boldly.

"Heck no!" Ava snapped. "Erza has different types of armors to deal with a wide variety of powers and abilities. That means she's best equipped to handle the situation if it's something we don't exactly understand...Hibiki...I'd like it if you go with Erza after Midnight to observe his powers. Then when you have an idea of the element that they draw from, you can call on either Eve, Ichiya or myself."

"That plan sounds good and all," Carla spoke up, a paw on her hip. "But how exactly will we all be communicating? If we're splitting up the Oracion Seis, we'll need a wide perimeter so that the fights won't meld into each other. And the tomcat, Wendy and I are only three persons, we cannot be in two places at once."

"Good point," Ava acknowledged. "And only Natsu, Sylvia and myself are Dragons slayers and have the right hearing to hear over long distances."

"I can set up a telepathic link between all of us using Archive. But I can't go with Miss Erza," Hibiki said sternly. Ava shot him a look. "Freed would be best. If he's half as powerful as I've heard then he can help with Midnight no problem. I feel it would be best, especially saying that if Lucy needs help in her fight against Angel I know where to find a certain spell used by powerful Celestial Wizards in Archive. And with a link-up from Archive, Freed can contact any one of us if something's wrong." Ava nodded.

"Very well. Freed, will that work for you?" The swordsman nodded. "Okay then. So, if any of us finish our fights and still have magic power left, let Hibiki know so he can tell you where the nearest still-fighting pair are. Lyon, Grey and Sylvia, when your fight ends, I want you three to split up, understood? This way, more groups get help if they need it. And then, Ichiya, Eve or myself will go out and provide support for the remaining pair unless we've already been sent to replace and injured teammate. Does that work with everyone?" Everyone nodded, save for Sherry who was pouting. "Good. Now that the fights have been decided, we should focus on the real first step to this; determining the current location of the Seis."

"We know they're hiding in the Woodsea," Eve said. Ava felt her limbs stiffen.

"So is Laxus..." The woman took a deep breath and nodded. "Then Natsu, Sylvia, Happy, Carla and I will try tracking them down. They have a Titanboa so we're looking for a large group of people with a reptilian scent among them, possibly some bone, feathers, bird-like smells and that. If we can find a trail that smells like that, we'll likely have the Seis. And we can use their scents to find and track them."

"The cats will help in tracking?" Ren said.

"I thought dogs were the ones that had good noses," Lucy said.

"Cats have good noses for tracking, dogs are just better. But we're working with what we have," Ava said.

"And if the Seis find us first?" Carla asked.

"No battle strategy survives first contact with the enemy. But if we have a general idea of who would be best off fighting whom, then we can be better prepared for whatever their move will be. Just to remind everyone, our initial plan is that Ever and Natsu engage Cobra, Erza and Freed will take Midnight, Bickslow and Ren will take Brain, Grey, Sylvia and Lyon will take Racer, Jura and Sherry will take Hoteye, and Lucy and Hibiki will take Angel."

"And remember, under no circumstance should one engage this enemy in solo combat," Jura said sternly.

"One thing I don't understand is why these guys are out in the Woodsea in the first place," Sylvia said.

"I can explain that!" Ichiya declared. "For you see, to the North lies the Woodsea, where the Ancients once sealed a powerful force; a magic called Nirvana!" The older man struck a pose and Grey groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Those poses are getting old."

"Nirvana?" Natsu and Lucy said at once.

"Never heard of it before," Lyon said.

"Do you know what it is?" Sherry asked Jura, who shook his head grimly.

"I'm afraid I do not."

"This conversation's boring huh?" Happy asked, earning himself Ava and Wendy's attention as he neared Carla with a fish in hand. "Wanna nom on some mackerel?" He offered her the fish and Ava almost 'awed' at seeing the end of its tail wrapped in a little red bow.

"Heavens no!" Carla said, appalled and barely even sparing a glance at the blue cat.

"We don't know much about this magic other than its name. And that it's destructive in nature," Ren continued.

"And the Oracion Seis wants it badly," Eve finished.

"Destruction Magic..." Natsu mused, his arms crossing over his chest. Wendy gulped and gripped Ava's grey dress a little tighter, the woman placing a gentle hand on the child.

"Yea...bad feeling confirmed," Lucy said, shifting from foot to foot as she rubbed her bare upper arms.

"And because of their desperation to get their hands on Nirvana, they've come here to look for it," Hibiki reported. "And as a result, they must have some kind of temporary base of operations somewhere in the Woodsea." Ava nodded.

"That would make sense…"

"And we've tried looking for it, but have had no luck," Ren said stiffly.

"But once we've located it," Ichiya jumped in. "Our plan is to gather the Oracion Seis inside!"

"How exactly would we do that?" Grey asked.

"And would we want to?" Sylvia jumped in. "It's basically giving them home-field advantage."

"We beat 'em up and drag their butts there!" Natsu cheered.

"Didn't you hear me about the home-field advantage?" Sylvia groaned.

"He's just a little too excited about all this," Lucy sighed.

"And the next part of the plan?" Erza asked. Ava pinched the bridge of her nose, already knowing she was not going to like this.

"Then, we'll give them a one-way ticket to oblivion! Curtesy of Christina, the majestic pride of the Blue Pegasus Guild," Ichiya cried as Hibiki pulled up an image of a massive airship shaped like a white Pegasus. Ava groaned.

"I've heard of the magic bomber but I thought it was just a myth," Sherry said.

"First off, why would we want to kill them when they can be telling us if there's a bigger plan that involves the entire Baram Alliance? Second off, I reiterate Sylvia's point of the home-field advantage."

"And is that even necessary?!" Lucy cried. "There's only six of them!"

"I must agree with Lady Avastasia. If there is a greater plan in the works from the entire Baram Alliance, it would be best to keep these people alive for questioning later," Jura said. "But over everything else, defend yourself and your fighting partner."

"This is a total nightmare," Lucy groaned as Wendy cuddled into Ava's side.

"I don't think I can take this kind of pressure!" she squealed.

"Will you two stop acting like children?! And Wendy, remove yourself from that woman this instant!" Carla scolded.

"Let's go! I'm all fired up!" Natsu cheered as he raced towards the door, punching through them with enough force to send them flying off their hinges. "Time to hunt me some demons!" He took off at a dead sprint. "Ready or not, here I come!"

"Natsu!" Ava yelled as she took off after him. "Just where do you think you're going on your own?!" Ava stretched out her right hand and a blue light grew out of her palm, stretching until it was roughly her height. As the light faded, it turned into a golden trident with a darker handle. The end glowed blue and with a flick of her wrist, the glow surrounded Ava and with a small jump, she was flying through the air.

"Ava!" Sylvia yelled as she and the other Fairy Tail members raced out the door.

"Always acting without a thought in his head," Erza groaned.

"Some days I worry about his mental health," Lucy sighed as Sylvia pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What do you guys wanna bet he didn't even hear the plan?" Grey asked.

"I'll bet five fish he didn't!" Happy said.

"Overkill much?" Ren asked as he and the Trimens stepped out of the building.

"Yea, no kidding," Eve agreed.

"Great…we're gonna have to fix it," Hibiki sighed. Sylvia sighed and shook her head.

"Grey, Lyon, let's get a move on. We've got to catch up to them before they run into trouble. Let's move!" With that, Sylvia summoned her own Trident and raced after her sister, the Thunder Legion taking to the skies after her.

"Guess we're playing catch up with that dork," Grey groaned before running after the Water Wizard.

"Do we have to?" Lucy cried as she took off after Erza and Grey.

"Double time it!" Erza called.

"And quit crying!"

"Their energy's as infectious as I remember. Ready Sherry?" Lyon asked as he took off after his fellow Ice Wizard and Sylvia.

"Yea!" Sherry cheered as she followed him.

"Wait, stay together!" Jura warned.

"So we're hunting demons?" Ren teased as the Trimens burst into a sprint. Eve hummed in agreement.

"And Angel…at last," Hibiki muttered under his breath, all the playfulness from earlier vanished from his form as he pulled ahead of the other Blue Pegasus members. Wendy hid behind the busted doorframe and whimpered, earning her a glare from Carla.

"Stop lollygagging Wendy!" she scolded.

"I can't help it!" Wendy cried nervously.

"Have no fear, because the Catmander's here!" Happy cheered as Carla grabbed Wendy's hand and began leading her off after the others as fast as her paws could go, meaning Wendy was barely jogging but nearly tripping over her feet as she bent over to hold onto Carla's paw.

"You'll be the death of me," the cat said exasperated.

"I'm sorry Carla," Wendy said quickly. Happy watched in shock for a second before his wings burst from his back.

"Wait for me! You need a man to protect you!" he cried as he took to the skies after the others.

"I'm too old for this," Jura sighed as the younger generation faded from sight, Ichiya appearing beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Alright! I got a kudos! But I really want to hear from my readers on what they think of the story. So comments, please, kudos and bookmarks are good too but feedback from you guys is how I know I'm doing well or if there's something I should change, or something I should add. Ohhh...I have a plot twist coming up that I am so excited for and I bet none of you will see it coming! So later!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The operation is underway...But the Oracion Seis already has the upper hand!

"In any event, the operation is now underway," Jura said, turning to Ichiya. "We should hurry to catch up with the others."

"Slow your roll shiny dome," Ichiya said, striking a pose. "I've heard through the grapevine that you're one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Would this statement be true?"

"Indeed I am," Jura said with a nod. Ichiya struck another pose.

"It's quite a privilege to fight alongside someone as skilled as Master Makarov."

"I wouldn't go that far," Jura said, holding up a hand. "Although I'm honored to bear the title, it is given to whomever the Council deems worthy. Equating myself with Makarov is tantamount to comparing the heavens to the earth. I'm sure you can guess which applies to me." Ichiya turned away to hide the smirk growing across his features.

"I see. That might be the best news I've heard all day," Ichiya said as he uncorked a vial. Jura's grip on his spear tightened. "If you were as powerful as that fossil, it would make my job so much more difficult." Suddenly, a horrid stench attacked Jura's senses, burning his lungs as he breathed and making his eyes water until his vision blurred.

"What is that smell?!" Jura demanded before his every breath ended in harsh coughing that brought him to his knees.

"Piri...piri..." Ichiya muttered, another voice adding to the man's as he uncorked another vial. When this new scent entered Jura's sense, his body was overcome with the agony of a thousand, thousand knives tearing through his flesh and the Wizard Saint screamed. "That's more like it. Drown in relentless agony and torment. Are you enjoying the potent effects of my little fragrance?" Jura gasped, both in pain, the need for air and the realization that the person before him is not Ichiya at all. "Oops...that's not right, I meant parfume!" Ichiya turned into a cloud of smoke and when the mist cleared, two small human-like creatures hovered in the air where the man's head had been. They had blue skin and two tiny appendages at the top of their heads like antennae. They wore a small red strap over one shoulder and over the opposite hip. But only one wore orange shorts and the other wore black.

"Phew! We're back to normal!" one said in a high-pitched voice.

"Yuck! That midget's head was full of perverted stuff!" the other said in a slightly deeper voice.

"Don't remind me, brother! Grown-ups can be so gross!" Jura's eyes widened at the sight as he struggled to hold himself up.

"No complaining," said a smooth, gentle voice that almost had a motherly tone to it. "You're not done yet."

"Piri...piri..." the two tiny creatures said in unison as their master appeared, stepping out from behind some bushes.

"No...not you...why are you here?!" Jura demanded shakily as he recognized the feathery skirt and pale-blonde hair. Angel smirked.

"Isn't it obvious? You've been duped darling," Angel sneered before crossing her arms over her scantily-covered chest and pressed a finger to her cheek as if she were pondering a difficult question. "We copied your comrade, everything from his dumpy little body to every thought in his perverted mind."

"Now we know your plan," jeered the male creature.

"You can't hide anything from us," the female said. Jura's eyes went wide again.

"No..."

"Yes," Angel said with a smile and a wink. "Two down and only ten to go." Jura groaned as his arms gave out under him and Angel released a giggle. "Let this serve as a lesson to you, children of light. There's no stopping the Oracion Seis."

 

Natsu smirked to himself as he ran towards a cliff, catching sight of the Woodsea just beyond it.

"There it is!" he cheered excitedly.

"Natsu, wait!" Ava called as she flew towards him.

"Wait up numbskull!" Grey called as he appeared as well.

"Yea, in your dreams," Natsu scoffed.

"That's an order!" Erza yelled, beginning to catch up with the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "You can't rush into this one alone!" Natsu smirked and chuckled a little.

"What's the matter?" he asked, almost jeeringly. "Are you afraid I might actually show you up this time?"

"Say what?!" Erza snapped. "Stop moving your feet right now!"

"I was just kidding around!" Natsu insisted, not noticing where his feet were taking him, right over the edge of the cliff.

"Natsu!" Ava yelled as she flew after the teen as he fell screaming towards the treetops below.

"Well…he stopped moving his feet," Grey joked darkly as the others caught up with them.

"If he's not dead, I'll kill him," Erza snarled.

"Erza!" Sylvia chastised.

"I see he hasn't changed," Sherry said peering over the cliff's edge.

"To think, I once crossed fists with that fool. It's kind of embarrassing now," Lyon said with a slight chuckle.

"It's another form of love," Sherry sighed dreamily. Sylvia's forehead cracked as it hit her open palm with an exasperated sigh.

"Yea, not quite," Grey retorted.

"Come on," Sylvia said before running off along the cliff's edge. "We'd better catch up before he catches the scent of the Seis."

 

Ava grabbed hold of Natsu's hand and heaved back, slowing his descent significantly.

"Thanks Ava. Nice fork by the way, where'd ya get it?"

"It's not a fork, it's a Trident. This particular one is part of a set that has been passed down from mother to daughter in my family for almost four hundred years."

"Why?"

"Because it was given to my family by Tritannius, the Water Dragon King. Since then my family has had many Water Dragon Slayers and I'm one of them."

"So that's what you were talking about earlier when you were asking about me being a Dragon Slayer too, right? I thought you were just talking about Laxus." Ava nodded. "So does that mean you know what happened to the dragons?" Natsu asked as Ava gently set him on the ground and landed herself, the blue glow fading from around her body.

"No. I'm afraid not. My grandmother's stories say dragons vanished over 400 years ago. At least the Water Dragons did. The others…well…Not even my grandmother knows." Natsu smiled.

"Thanks anyway. Come on. Let's hurry up and beat the others to the Seis." Ava rolled her eyes and shook her head as the Pyro Wizard bolted off.

"Honestly, this guy…" Ava's body became encased in a blue glow again before she took to the skies, ducking, twisting and swinging from side to side to avoid smashing into a tree or branches as she caught up with the other Dragon Slayer. As she moved, a scent wafted into her nose and she sniffed deeply, landing and closing her eyes to enhance her sense of smell.

"What's up?" Natsu asked, skidding to a stop.

"Do you smell that?" Ava asked. Natsu sniffed a few times before a shiver made its way down his spine. The scent smelled almost akin to ice or the air before a blizzard, there was nothing comforting or really familiar about it. The hairs on the backs of both necks stood on end.

"This forest doesn't smell right," Natsu said, voice becoming hard.

"Yea. My bet would be because of Nirvana's being sealed here," Ava said, moving closer to her companion. Natsu noticed the action and turned to place a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll all work out. You're with Fairy Tail's strongest teams." Ava nodded.

"I know. But I feel I should also let you know that my home village is on the other side of this Woodsea. Going around it from Magnolia, you'd arrive in about a week. Laxus was a day away from our old home when he turned around and said he'd be returning through the Woodsea. If we get separated and you find Laxus in here, tell him I'm here fighting as well, alright?" Natsu nodded.

"Ready to keep moving then?" Ava nodded and the two took off again, deeper into the forest.

"There should be another cliff just about treetop level where we should wait for the others."

 

"Something's not right here," Erza said, a cold chill creeping down her back as she ran.

"I know," Grey agreed. "It's like the deeper we go into it, the spookier it gets."

"Probably because of Nirvana," Sylvia stated.

"Keep your guard up, understand?" Lyon said flatly. Sherry nodded her reply, panting heavily as she barely managed to keep up with everyone.

"Will Lady Ava be alright with only Natsu in all this?" Freed asked Sylvia as the Thunder Legion maneuvered through the trees.

"I'm sure she will," Sylvia said. "So long as she doesn't do anything stupid."

 

Lucy cried loudly as she continued running, despite having been left in the dust by her team.

"I can't believe those jerks left me to fend for myself! Whatever happened to ladies first, huh?!" she said, more to herself than anything else, not noticing the three Trimens running up behind her.

"A gem like you should be treated with care," Hibiki said smoothly.

"What can we do to make you smile dear?" Eve asked with a bright, wide smile.

"Stay by my side, that's an order," Ren said.

"Creepy!" Lucy yelled.

"Quit lollygagging, Wendy! Hurry up!" Carla said, still pulling Wendy along.

"I'm trying," Wendy argued, her steps being slowed from trying to not trip over herself despite being bent nearly in half by Carla holding her hand.

"Happy man-service could help!" Happy offered, still running behind the girls.

Soon enough, the trees and earth turned to hard, barren stone where Natsu and Ava were standing on the edge of the cliff that was so close to the treetops that they nearly looked like grass.

"You finally caught up!" Natsu called.

"You're one sturdy freak, you know that!?" Grey called as he slowed down near the two. Sylvia cast a dark glare at her sister as she landed.

Suddenly, a shadow passed over the rocky stretch, catching everyone's attention and a few jaws dropped in awe at the massive white airship.

"That's the magic bomber, Christina," Erza said.

"I want one!" Natsu said, still in awe of what he saw.

"Wow," Wendy breathed.

"That's so cool," Lucy agreed.

"Horses can fly too?" Happy asked.

"Please refrain from opening your mouth again," Carla said, finally releasing Wendy's hand. Ava cast a look at the cat and shook her head.

"Alright, let's split into our teams and start searching for their temporary base," Erza said.

"I'm flying the bomber thing!" Natsu cheered, hand flying up into the air.

"Not happening," Grey countered. Ava couldn't help a smile and small chuckle at the seemingly-brother-like interaction. She turned back to the bomber just seconds before a massive blast ripped a wing into vapor and sent black smoke billowing into the air.

"What's wrong with Christina?!" Hibiki yelled. Ava summoned her Trident and took into the air with Sylvia following her.

"Stay right there!" The blonde yelled. "We'll check the ship for life and be back soon!" The sisters flew off towards the wreckage as more blasts sent debris flying towards them. More black smoke clouded the atmosphere, hiding the girls from view, as well as blanketing the cliff in the darkness.

The group could only watch in horror as the smoke-spewing airship fell from the skies and vanished into the trees before turning into a mass of heat and wind that could be felt even from such a great distance and with the heat and wind, came even more black smoke. Natsu sniffed the air and a tiny snarl made its way out of his throat.

"Grey," he warned and his teammate nodded.

"I know. We got company." The two settled into a fighting stance. "Everyone stay frosty!" Lucy's hand went to her whip, Freed to his sword, Ever to her glasses and Bickslow held up his hand and his babies paused in their movements, hovering right next to him as the others copied Natsu and Grey.

The footsteps and jingling wind chimes made Natsu instinctively hunch his shoulders, trying to look slightly bigger than he was, an intimidation tactic he'd learned so long ago as a child. The first thing clearly visible in the smoke were two green eyes with slitted pupils surrounded by purple scaly skin on a snake's head.

"That's gotta be them," Lucy murmured under her breath as the smoke cleared entirely, revealing the six members of the Oracion Seis. A massive purple snake was wrapped around Cobra's body and the two tiny human-like creatures hovered near Angel's head. Hibiki tensed until his fists were trembling at his sides. Brain looked over the assembled Wizards and hummed deep in his tattooed chest.

"Lowly maggots. Swarming together." Angel smirked and winked.

"I'm afraid short stuff isn't going to make it to the party," she said, almost sounding sorry for the man.

"And so is that big bald Wizard Saint," the tiny male jeered.

"We took them down!" his sister cheered.

"They're defeated?!" Lyon said, shocked.

"Impossible," Hibiki growled. Cobra smirked.

"There's terror in their voices. I can hear it," he chuckled as he smirked wickedly.

"The quicker we wrap this up, the better," Racer commented. "I'll run you over so fast it'll make your heads spin."

"Money determines strength in this world, oh yeah!" Hoteye declared loudly. "If you save but a penny today, it shall become a vast fortune in the future, furthermore-"

"Enough with the preaching, Hoteye!" Cobra and Racer snapped. Lucy looked over at Midnight, who was sound asleep on top of a carpet that was hovering a few feet off ground.

"Is it sad that I'm terrified of the snoring guy?" she grumbled as she bit her lip.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to show yourselves," Erza said as she stepped forward. The two groups stared each other down, silence and tension filling the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Yes! Another chapter done! Yahoo! Please leave a comment, kudos or bookmark. Later you guys!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle between the allied Guilds and Oracion Seis begins!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Quick announcement, I updated this on 6/5/16 and overnight, I got almost ten views for it. Thanks a lot guys! Once we get to chapter 11, that's when we'll be up-to-date with all my other sites. Now, on with the story!

The tension between the groups was so palpable one could nearly taste it. Not a word was spoken, adding to the thick atmosphere. Freed slid his sword from its sheath, the sound echoing over the rocks and smoky air. Natsu popped his knuckles.

"You ready?" he all but breathed towards Grey.

"You bet," the raven-haired teen said with a nod. Cobra smirked.

"Want an invitation?" he jabbed.

"You being here is enough for us!" Natsu and Grey shouted as they took off towards their opponent.

"Take them," Brain said passively, obviously bored.

"With pleasure," Racer said as he practically vanished from the man's side, appearing behind Natsu and Grey a split second later and delivering a brutal kick to each of their chests. "Motor!" he roared.

"Natsu! Grey!" Ever looked beside her to see two Lucys look at each other before one grabbed her whip and began moving it through the air, snapping it against the skin of both women.

"Surprise!" the whipping one jeered with a wicked smile.

"Why am I whipping myself?!" Lucy cried.

"What's going on?" Ever asked as well as she raised up her fan and caught the whip on the accessory, only to have it ripped out of her grasp and the whipping to continue.

 

"Sherry," Lyon barked as he rushed towards Hoteye.

"Right," the redhead said with a nod, quickly following the Ice Wizard. Hoteye chuckled some as his eyes glowed golden.

"I see you...Oh yea!" The ground under the Lamia Scale Mages' feet turned to liquid and they sunk to their waists as the earth shot up and around, almost turning into a tube-shape. "Forget love, all you need is money! Money's all you need!"

"What is this stuff? Quicksand?" Lyon growled as he reached out, looking for anything solid he could latch onto to pull himself out.

"How dare he say love is less important!" Sherry cried from her place at the top of the tube. "Grab my hand love!" she cried reaching for Lyon.

 

"I'll take care of Angel!" Hibiki growled as he raced forward, Ren and Eve quick behind him.

"Hey no dibs!" Eve objected.

"What do you mean by 'take care'?" Ren snapped. None of them noticed that Racer had changed targets until he delivered a harsh kick to each of their chests and vanishing to do the same to Freed and Bickslow as they tried taking a shot at their original targets of Midnight and Brain respectively.

"If you're slow you'll be eating my dust," Racer chuckled as he observed his work.

 

"Requip!" Erza yelled as she leapt into the air, her clothes turning into light. Cobra looked up at her and smirked widely.

"Interesting," he remarked as Erza's clothes turned into her Heaven's Wheel armor and dozens of swords appeared in the air around her.

"Dance my swords! Piercing Rain!" Cobra's snake pulled its head to its master's chest as the man twisted and turned his body, missing each blade by a hair's breadth. Erza froze mid-attack and stared wide-eyed. "No way...he dodged them all. Can he read my attacks?" Suddenly, a rush of air on her back alerted her to another presence and she spun around in time to catch Racer's foot with the flat of her sword just inches away from her nose. But the force of the kick sent her back down to the ground, where she landed on her feet and almost fell to her knees when pain raced up her leg and her ankle throbbed.

 

Natsu growled as he pushed himself up, angry that he'd been taken out so easily so early in the fight. Midnight was snoring away not more than a few yards in front of him. His temper flared.

"Quit sawing logs and put up your stupid fists!" Natsu yelled, frustrated with this person.

 

"Requip! Flight Armor!" Erza yelled as her Heaven's Wheel armor turned to a piece of armor covered in cheetah-pattern cloth that was cut to show a great deal of cleavage and made to fit along her ribs, exposing her stomach. Her skirt turned into a black piece reminiscent of a bikini with a brown belt around her hips holding up a cheetah tail and a long green cloth over one leg. Dark purple socks ended at her mid-thighs, protruding from her silver boots with her knees covered in armor that was covered in the same cheetah-like patterned cloth. On both arms were long dark-purple sleeves held in place with thin silver bands on her right arm and a small gauntlet decorated with the cheetah-pattern on her left. On her left shoulder was a matching piece of armor. Spotted cat ears rested on her head, completing the look. A pair of swords rested in her hands, the hilts made of red stone and designed like spiked collars.

She began slashing wildly at Racer, the Speed Wizard managing to dodge her blade. He laughed at her efforts.

"That's more like it," he chuckled as he leapt away. "Yea. I like fast women." Erza growled as she slashed again, barely missing Cobra's side.

"It's no use," he sneered as Erza moved again. He sidestepped her and leapt into the air to land behind her, catching her off guard. "I can hear your next move Titania!"

"He is reading me. But how?!" Erza thought as she turned again and slashed at the man as he smirked.

"You look confused, having trouble figuring it out?" he said in a condescending tone. "I told you, I hear everything!"

 

"Wakey-wakey!" Natsu called as he felt his fire come to life in his belly. He put his hands up to his mouth and blew out a hot stream of flames right at Midnight. The Dragon Slayer watched as his fire bent around the sleeping Dark Guild member, leaving him perfectly intact, snoring on without a care in the world. "No way, he should be barbeque right now..."

"Careful," Racer growled as he appeared behind the Dragon Slayer. Natsu snapped around, only to find himself hit with a barrage of the Speed Wizard's fists. "If you wake him up, it's gonna be your nightmare!"

 

"Ice Make: Lance," Grey said as he summoned his magic and cold air spread around him. A perfect copy of him appeared behind his back and mirrored the attack right at the original with a wicked smirk.

 

Brain watched the ongoing fight with disinterest, save for one redhead currently engaged in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Cobra. Erza slashed, trying to catch Cobra off balance, but the man remained on his feet and one step ahead of her with each swipe.

"I see. So this is the fate of Erza Scarlet," he said with a slight smirk as Cobra caught Erza's sword by the end of the hilt and grabbed her other wrist before it could harm him. He sneered at her.

"I can hear it all you know. It's like a symphony. Your muscles contracting, every breath that you take in, and all your thoughts." His eyes narrowed. Erza's first instinct was to throw up the memories that frightened even her to this day. The Tower of Heaven, where she, her friends, and dear Grandpa Rob had all been made slaves to cultists. The pain she'd endured, losing her eye, the uprising. Cobra's eyes widened as he released the blades and leapt back. "What the- You were there?" he said, stunned.

"He's open!" Erza thought as she moved to slash, Cobra still too stunned to really move. The earth under her foot shot up, knocking her into the air with a scream.

"I saw that, oh yea!" Hoteye remarked as Racer appeared and delivered a harsh kick to Erza's middle.

"Cobra, pick up the pace, will ya?!" he snapped. Cobra growled and raised his arm.

"Cubelios!" The snake launched off his arm and opened its massive jaw, revealing sharp fangs just before it buried them into Erza's arm. The redheaded woman screamed as blood splattered on the rocks and the snake dropped her before returning to its master. "You may be fast but that won't save you rom Cubelios' poison. Enjoy writhing in agony until death claims you," he remarked. Erza's clenched eyes opened slightly to look at him. It may have been her imagination, but it almost sounded like he was sorry for her.

One by one, the Oracion Seis members drifted back to Brain's side and looked over their work. Most of the people Racer had kicked were only just beginning to come around or try pushing themselves to their feet. Lucy and Evergreen were covered in cuts and massive red welts from the whip, Lyon and Sherry were shaking on their hands and knees, and Wendy, Carla and Happy had all taken shelter behind a large stone.

"How pathetic, prepare for oblivion's embrace," Brain said as he held up his staff. Dark green light began to spread from the crystal ball in the staff's mouth and the bitter cold of dark magic settled over the area, pressing down on the members of the allied forces like a massive animal stepping on them, immobilizing them. "Dark Grando..." Wendy whimpered and ducked down behind her rock, her foot slipping and she fell over onto her side, becoming visible to the Seis.

Suddenly, Brain stopped casting his spell and stared at the blue-haired girl with wide eyes.

"What's the matter Brain?" Racer asked.

"You gonna cast that thing or what?" Cobra asked, wanting the nasty business to be over with already.

"Wendy..." Brain breathed, catching the girl's attention. She bit her lip nervously.

"You know her?" Cobra asked, looking up at the little girl.

"No doubt about it, that's Wendy. The Maiden of the Sky."

"What does that mean?" Wendy asked as she moved to hide again, curling into a ball and covering her head as tears began gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"To think we simply stumbled upon her here," Brain said, a wicked smile coming to life on his tattooed face. He held up his staff. "Grab her!" A hand made of green and black light shot out from the skull's mouth and came around the rock. Wendy screamed as the fingers began to wrap around her.

"Wendy!" A flash of grey and brown, and Ava appeared in front of the girl, Trident in hand, wrapping her arms around her protectively. As a result, the hand wrapped around both girls and lifted them into the air. Wendy screamed in terror.

"Wendy!" Carla yelled as she began chasing the two. "Unhand them now!" she demanded.

"Carla!" Wendy cried.

"I'll help ya, as soon as I can catch up!" Happy assured as his wings appeared and he flew after the girls. Natsu forced himself to his knees with grit teeth.

"Striking while we're down?! That's not fair!"

"All's fair in money and war, oh yea!" Hoteye cheered as he reached out his hand, a magic circle blooming to life in front of his fingers. The earth under the fallen warriors shot upwards, knocking the allied forces into a heap together. Ava wrestled an arm free of the hand and reached out.

"Grab my paw!" Carla yelled as he reached towards the woman. Ava reached and wrapped her fingers around Happy's paw. "You've got the wrong cat!" Wendy screamed as she, Ava and Happy were all pulled towards to Oracion Seis. Just seconds before they reached them, Ava threw her head back and screamed into the air. The noise was cut off when all three captives vanished from sight.

"Happy!" Natsu yelled.

"Wendy!" Carla cried.

"Lady Ava!" Freed cried as he forced himself to his knees, using his sword as a support.

"I have no use for the rest of you," Brain sneered, the skull on his staff glowing green with magic. "Begone! Dark Grando!" Dark green magic shot from the skull, arcing in the air, ready to strike down the allied forces from the skies. Natsu lunged, wrapping his arms around Lucy protectively and tucking her head into his chest. Freed and Bickslow covered Evergreen and Grey shot to his feet, fist to his palm, ready to cast a spell. Lyon grabbed Sherry and leapt out of the way.

"I've got you," he assured.

"Yes, hold me in your loving arms," she sighed. Hibiki lunged to the side where Natsu had as Ren followed Lyon, both ready to act as shields for the others.

"Iron Rock Wall!"

"Water Shield!" The earth moved to cover the allied forces with a wall of dirt as water created a sphere around them. The allied forces snapped around, seeing Jura standing on one side and Sylvia on the other, holding her own Trident in hand as sweat dotted her brow.

"That was awesome!" Sherry cried as the water shield fell away and soaked into the ground.

"You're the best Wizard ever!" Eve cheered.

"I'll second that," Hibiki said with a smile.

"Yea," Lucy agreed from her place under Natsu. "We were almost goners, thanks a million." Natsu forced himself to his feet and rushed out of the tiny haven Jura had created, fire coming to life on his fists as he prepared to face the Oracion Seis again...

...Only to find they were gone.

"They're long gone by now," Grey said as he took in the scene.

"Why'd we let them get away?!" Natsu growled as Carla walked out to the spot where the Seis had been standing mere seconds ago.

"Oh...Wendy..."

"They wiped the floor with us," Ren growled.

"They're much stronger than we anticipated," Sylvia said. "And no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy."

"What unbelievable power," Lyon breathed.

"And there's only six of them. They're way stronger than the rumors suggested," Hibiki said, clenching his fist.

"Just look at what they did to Christina," Sherry breathed.

"According to Angel, the woman who peers into minds, they know everything of our plans," Jura said.

"Seriously?!" Sylvia cried, turning to look at the Wizard Saint. "In that case, we're lucky no one died!"

"Wait a sec, what about all the people on board Christina?" Lucy asked.

"Don't worry pretty lady," Hibiki assured gently, catching the attention of both blondes.

"Christina has an automated pilot function so there's no need for a human crew," Eve explained.

"Yea, you couldn't have told us that before my sister and I went off and tried searching that thing for people?" Sylvia asked, scowl in place.

"Sorry," Hibiki chuckled sheepishly. "But you and your sister took off so quickly, we didn't have time." Sylvia rolled her eyes. "But thankfully, the Seis attacked when they did so none of us were on board."

"Good point," the blonde Water Wizard agreed.

"Glad to see you made it out unscathed," Lyon said to his Guild Mate. Jura bowed his head.

"Hardly. In fact I barely made it out alive." Lyon stood up straighter.

"You're wounded?" Jura closed his eyes.

"Their power terrifies me. As much as I hate to admit it, if it weren't for Sir Ichiya's Painkiller Parfume, I'd be in utter agony right now," the Wizard Saint said, turning around. The others followed his gaze to Ichiya striking another pose.

"Detestable Oracion Seis. Instead of bravely facing your foes, you decided to flee. Which means we win by default!" he cheered.

"That's not how it works you freak!" Grey and Sylvia yelled at once, the blonde going red in the face at the action. Ichiya turned to look at the two and Sylvia squeaked, taking shelter behind Grey to hide from the troll-like man.

"Look pal we may be battered but we are not beaten." He pulled a vial from the sash at his waist. "Here, take a whiff. And let my painkiller parfume ease your discomfort." Ichiya uncorked the vial and a fresh, sweet-smelling scent washed over the entire group. As much as Sylvia may not have liked the man, he was at least proving he was worth something aside from being annoying with the multiple poses he was striking.

"Wow...that actually feels good. Like my pain's just melting away," Grey commented.

"I wasn't even hurt in the fight, but it's making me feel like I could take on an army," Sylvia said, feeling the strength rushing into her muscles.

"Way to go chief," Hibiki cheered, Ren and Eve copying him enthusiastically.

"They called him something different again!" Lucy cried.

"I bet they're doing it just to annoy us," Grey muttered.

"In that case, pay them no mind," Freed said.

"This sucks!" Natsu growled. "How dare those punks run off with Happy, Wendy and Ava. I gotta go find them!" He shot to his feet and bolted.

"And just where do you think you're going?!" Evergreen demanded as Natsu raced towards the edge of the cliff overlooking the tree-filled valley. Suddenly, something tugged on Natsu's scarf, yanking him back so he landed on his back. His eyes traced his scarf to Carla who was now hovering in midair by a pair of pure white wings matching Happy's.

"You mustn't be reckless!" she scolded. "You need to calm down and think this through!"

"Those wings..." Evergreen breathed.

"Was she hidin' them?" Bickslow asked. "Was she? Was she?" 

"You can fly?" Ren asked.

"That's so cool!" Eve cheered, causing Carla to turn to him.

"You've never seen Aera Magic before? Well, in that case, I suppose it's only natural that you would find it surprising," Carla said with a shrug.

"You're trying to copy Happy, aren't you?" Natsu said, glaring and pouting petulantly.

"As if dimwit!" she snapped.

"Now, now, we can have two flying cats," Lucy said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Though I am concerned about Wendy, Miss Ava and that tomcat, this is not a blow to be taken lightly. We cannot face them again until we've come up with a new plan of attack."

"I full-heartedly agree Lady Carla," Jura said. "The enemy's strength is much more than we anticipated."

"Man," Ichiya said pointlessly.

"But first..." Carla looked over to where Erza had crawled up against a tree, holding onto her blood-covered arm. The area around her snake bite was turning violet. Her breathing was shaky and her teeth were clenched tightly. The Fairy Tail mages raced over to Erza.

"Erza..." Natsu breathed.

"What's the matter?" Lucy asked as she neared. Erza released a yelp of pain as her wound and shoulder throbbed. "I'm not doctor but that doesn't look good at all."

"Master Ichiya," Eve called as the short man made his way over, smiling in a rather self-satisfied manner.

"I've got this men," he said to the Trimens before directing his attention to Erza. "I know what you need, my honey. A little Painkiller Parfume! Aroma Increase!" A visibly green cloud of the scent came out of the tiny vial and all but engulfed Erza.

"Since when are painkillers an antidote for snake venom?" Evergreen asked.

"His parfume does more than ease pain," Hibiki explained. "It also has a cleansing effect that will help her body expel any toxins."

"I see," the brunette Fairy Mage said as she opened her fan. Erza bit her lip hard as a whimper passed through her teeth.

"Erza, are you alright?" Grey asked as he moved closer.

"It looks like she's in even more pain now," Natsu said, honestly getting worried.

"Huh? You think so?" Ichiya asked. Erza released a scream of pain as she collapsed against the tree, the bark scarping along her back. "Oh...man..."

"You're making it worse!" Sylvia yelled.

"What's going on?" Ren asked.

"I don't know, his Painkiller Parfume has never failed before," Eve said.

"Erza..." Natsu pleaded, moving closer to the ailing redhead and putting himself between her and Ichiya. "Hang in there." Erza forced one of her eyes open and looked at her blonde teammate.

"I'm sorry Lucy..."

"Huh?" Erza's hand shot out and latched onto the buckle of Lucy's belt, quickly removing the article.

"I need to borrow this."

"No! Wait!" Freed instantly covered his eyes before Lucy's shorts could drop, giving all of the assembled males an eyeful. THe Trimens were practically drooling as a red-faced Lucy yanked her shorts back up and turned to face them. She growled a little before kicking the three of them in the chest. "Look away!"

"Get some decency!" Sylvia screeched.

"What do you think you're doing?" Evergreen asked as Erza tied the belt around her shoulder and rolled the sleeve from her arm into a ball.

"It's harsh but its the only way I can keep fighting," she said as she put the cloth to her mouth. "Somebody cut it off." Without another word, she stuffed the makeshift gag into her mouth and threw down one of her swords.

"What?!" Evergreen cried.

"At least give us time to find an antidote!" Grey argued. Erza shook her head and some muffled sounds came through the gag. Lyon stepped forward and picked up the sword.

"I'll do it," he said flatly, coldly.

"How kind of you," Sherry said dreamily.

"Put down the sword!" Grey ordered. Erza made some more noises and a gesture with her hand for Lyon to continue as she held out her infected arm. "Don't do this Lyon."

"Lyon are you serious?" Lucy asked, beyond shocked at this course of action.

"We can't afford to lose one of our strongest when facing such a powerful foe," the Ice Wizard justified.

"Yea...but..."

"Quit whining!" Sherry snapped. "I can't believe we got stuck with you wimpy fairies! It's obvious your friend's gonna die if we don't do something!"

"And yours is gonna die if he doesn't drop that thing!" Bickslow argued. "Drop it! Drop it!" Freed Pulled out his own sword and Evergreen closed her fan.

"Why's that? This is just his way of showing love." Sylvia tensed in agitation as Erza began making more noises and biting into the cloth harder. Lyon raised the blade.

"Put the sword down!" Grey yelled.

"Don't do it! You wanna be known as the guy who maimed Erza?!" Hibiki called.

"We just need a little time! We'll find a cure just don't-" Sylvia rushed forward to stop the Ice Wizard when Jura put his arm in front of her, stopping the Water Wizard in her tracks.

"We have no right to interfere with her wishes," the Wizard Saint said.

"We do when she's not in her right mind!" Sylvia snapped right back.

"Ready?" Lyon asked as he raised the blade even higher, the sharp edge just catching the light, creating a horrific beauty in the lumination.

"No! Erza!" Lyon swung the sword down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Alrighty-o! This chapter is done! I can't wait for you guys to see the next chapter. Please leave a kudos or bookmark. Or even a comment! Please guys. Oooh man!!!!! This plot twist is going to be so cool! I can barely wait! Later!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laxus appears and the Oracion Seis reveal some interesting secrets.

A golden flash of light crashed between Erza and Lyon, making the Ice Wizard back away and drop the blade. A shock of electricity shot into Erza's body, sending her face-first into a strong leg.

"If we lob off her arm, she'd bleed to death out here, get it?" Sylvia almost broke down in tears at the sound of the gruff voice and sight of blonde hair and a lightning-bolt-shaped scar.

"Laxus!" she cried as she broke free of Jura's hold and raced forward to throw her arms around her brother-in-law's middle, which proved rather difficult with the pack on his back. Laxus looked around him as he placed a hand on Sylvia's back. The exiled Wizard was dressed in a red t-shirt and dark-green cargo pants with his signature coat draped over his shoulders. The other Fairy Tail Wizards were staring at him in a mix of awe and relief. Jura's eyebrows were raised and Sherry's hands were at her chest and mouth in shock as Lyon looked from Erza's arm to the blade and then to Laxus. The Blue Pegasus Wizards were staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Carla's eyes had widened for a moment before she resumed her cool façade and crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't believe you're here!" Sylvia cheered as she pulled away a little. Laxus nodded as he removed his hand from Sylvia's back.

"Now Sylvia, care to tell me why I heard your sister screaming a little bit ago but I can't see her now?" Laxus asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sylvia's mouth opened and closed like a fish on a riverbank a few times before she sighed.

"You're not going to like it," she said. Laxus nodded.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

"But...My guess if Ava's fine! Right now we need to focus on Erza!" Laxus looked over his shoulder at the other S-Class mage.

"We wouldn't need to if Ava was here," he muttered.

"Hey! I'm right here you know!" Sylvia snapped. "I might not be able to remove the poison but I most certainly can keep it from spreading to the rest of her body! And you know, Ava's not all-powerful either. She may be able to remove the poison but she can't reverse the effects."

"In that case, we need Wendy," Carla spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "She can heal your friend."

"Wait a moment," Eve said. "You mean that little girl has some kind of Anti-Venom Magic?"

"Not just Anti-Venom. She can also cure fevers, relieve pain and heal wounds."

"Excuse me," Ichiya said as he slid in front of the cat, making Sylvia squeak and take shelter behind her brother-in-law. "I feel that my role in the group is being threatened and I find that rather unsettling."

"Would you rather have a threatened role or a dead Erza?!" Sylvia snapped.

"That's crazy," Sherry said dismissively. "Everyone knows Healing spells are Lost Magic. There's no way the kid could use them."

"Hold on, do these powers have anything to do with that whole 'Maiden of the Sky' thing that Brain guy mentioned?" Lucy asked.

"Yes it does," Carla snapped. "Because that little girl is Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer." Three sets of eyes widened as everyone gasped.

"She's a Dragon Slayer too?!" Laxus, Natsu and Sylvia all asked at one time.

"I'll give you all the details later...Although to be honest, there's really not much more you need to know. Wendy is the only one who can reverse the effects of the poison in Erza's body so we need her right now. Unfortunately, the Oracion Seis feel they need her too for some unknown reason."

"In that case we only have one option," Laxus said.

"We're gonna need to rescue Wendy," Hibiki added.

"We'll do it for Erza's sake," Grey said as he pulled off his jacket and draped it over Erza's front like a blanket.

"And Ava's," Sylvia continued.

"And Happy's too," Lucy finished.

"Alright, are you with me?!" Natsu cheered, throwing his fist into the air.

"Yea!" Most of the Wizards said as they copied him. Laxus and the Thunder Legion did not put their hands up. Sylvia shot her brother-in-law a dirty look before grabbing his wrist and pushing it up as far as she could, earning her a look from said blonde.

"All for Ava's sake, plus, we'll need help." Laxus slipped his wrist out of the blonde's grasp.

 

All around her was cold and dark. Ava clung to the furry paw in her hand and the girl latched onto her chest as they moved. Suddenly, Ava's stomach felt like it was dropping to her feet and shooting back up to lodge in her throat before she and her companions were thrown onto the cold, hard floor of a cave lit with candles.

Ava's eyes took a second to adjust but once she saw Brain standing above her, chuckling at them, Ava clung to Wendy more tightly than before as the girl whimpered.

"There's no need to be so rough! They're ladies and should be treated as such!" Happy defended as he stood in front of the girls, glaring down the massive Dark Wizard.

"Happy," Ava breathed. Brain glared down at the cat before he reached down and grabbed him by the face and picked him up, squeezing until Happy's arms and legs were flailing to try escaping.

"Let him go!" Wendy screamed. Brain dropped the blue cat and Ava's hand shot out, pulling him into the tiny space between hers and Wendy's bodies as she glared at the massive man in front of her. "You're not hurt too badly, are you?"

"Nah," Happy assured, panting for breath. "Don't you worry about me, little lady. I'm gonna do my best to find us a way out of here, I promise." Wendy smiled and snuggled the soft fur of his head.

"Thank you." Ava ran a hand over Wendy's hair as she snarled at Brain.

"What's the deal? I don't get why this girl's so important," Racer jeered as he reclined against the wall of the cave.

"Does she have something to do with Nirvana?" Cobra asked. Ava snarled at Brain again, showing her teeth as the man stepped forward.

"How do these people- No. They're a Dark Guild. They probably have information on anything and everything," Ava thought. Her blue-green eyes darted around, keeping an eye on the Seis as best she could. She locked eyes with Cobra, who was staring at her with a blank face but his eyes told a different story. The purple irises were swimming with emotions; surprise, shock...maybe even...pity? Remorse?

"Neither of them look all that special to me," Angel said flatly.

"Are they worth money? You're going to sell them to the highest bidder, right? Oh yea!" Hoteye cheered, earning him a bored look from Cobra.

"You realize cash ain't the answer to everything, right?" he said.

"Well I think it is, because money can buy everything, even love," Hoteye said, practically glowing as he smiled. The maroon-haired mage sighed.

"Heavens above and oceans below, give me a break." Ava's eyes went wide at the words but she clung to Wendy tighter.

"Wendy uses what's known as Sky Magic, it gives her the power to heal others," Brain explained.

"Isn't it a Lost Magic?" Angel asked.

"Of all the many practices lost over time, why in the world would we need a healer?" Cobra asked, turning to his leader but locking eyes with Ava again. Then his eyes widened and his head snapped to look at Brain. "Wait, you don't mean..." Brain smiled widely and threw his arms up.

"She is the key, with her power, we shall revive him!"

"Who are you talking about?!" Happy demanded.

"Listen, if you're asking me to help you..." Wendy paused and stood up, her hands clenched into fists as she turned to face Brain. "Forget it! I'd never do anything for jerks like you!"

"Yes you will," Brain said, a knowing smirk crossing his features. Ava stood up and put herself between the man and the child. "There's no doubt." Wendy let out her own little snarl. "Once you find out who it is, you'll be more than happy to help." The man turned to his Guild members. "Racer, bring him to me at once."

"Sure thing boss, but it's so far away it'll take me an hour to get there and back."

"No matter," Brain said dismissively. With a wave of the man's hand, Racer vanished.

"I see, once he's revived, we'll be able to find Nirvana. You're doing your name proud sir," Cobra said with a wicked smirk. Ava twirled her Trident in her fingers before pointing the tips at Brain, while also keeping her eye on Cobra.

"Who is it you're trying to revive? And how do you know Wendy?" Brain smirked. "Not big on talking? Fine. Then one last question, will doing this hurt Wendy?" Cobra gave her a bored look as Brain remained silent. "All I'm gonna say is that if it does, I'll rip you apart with my bare hands." With that, Ava pulled her Trident back and took hold of Wendy's shoulder to lead her to a corner of the cave and keep the girl in her lap.

"Cobra, Hoteye, Angel, I want you to continue the search for Nirvana," Brain ordered.

"But why? It's a waste of time," Angel objected. "We should begin the search after he's been revived."

"Come on! You guys just tell us who you're trying to bring back!" Happy ordered.

"Happy, come here," Ava said sternly. Happy backed up towards Ava but stood in front of her and Wendy with his paws stretched out protectively.

"I'd prefer to air on the side of caution. Midnight and I will remain here," Brain said with finality.

"Something tells me he won't make very good company," Hoteye said. Cubelios slithered away from Cobra and came to a rest in front of Ava, staring at her through one green eye as it hissed at her, tongue flicking out of its mouth. Ava regarded the reptile before focusing on keeping Wendy calm.

"Alright you guys, guess we better get going," Cobra said. Cubelios slithered back to its master and wrapped around his body, earning a gentle petting on the hinge of its jaw as the maroon-haired man walked out of the cave.

"You boys wanna race me?" Angel asked in a sultry voice. "Whoever finds Nirvana first wins a prize."

"In the amount of one million jewel! Count me in!" Hoteye cheered.

"Don't you think a million's a bit much?" Angel deadpanned as the three vanished from sight.

"Be honest with me," Happy said, turning to Wendy. "You don't know what these creeps are talking about, do ya?" Wendy shook her head.

"At least...I don't think so," she admitted. Ava placed a hand on the back of Wendy's head and continued to pet the girl's hair. The black-haired woman seemed calm but her mind was going a mile a minute.

"There's no way...But I haven't heard anyone but my family using that phrase...How did Cobra know it?" she thought.

"Please tell us what Nirvana does," Wendy demanded. "Won't you tell us that much?"

"It's incredibly powerful magic. It can swap light for darkness," Brain said, a dark, wicked smirk on his face, partially obscured by shadows, giving him a sinister look.

"What does that mean?" Wendy breathed.

"Yea, it doesn't make any sense," Happy said.

 

"Okay. I should probably get started now," Sylvia said as she knelt down next to Erza and placed her hands on the wound, closing her eyes in concentration as she reached out with her magic, holding the poison in place. Her hands glowed pale blue.

"What exactly are you doing?" Lucy asked gently.

"I'm holding the poison still. My grandmother taught me this trick."

"You can actually do that?" Lucy asked.

"Yea. Ava's better though, she can actually remove poisons without hurting the victim. If I tried that, it wouldn't be much better than what we almost tried earlier," the blonde Water Wizard explained.

"Well, you're sisters right?"

"Yea. She's older though by a few days. Gran said that might make the difference in power right now but eventually we should be on the same level...I think," Sylvia said.

"You and Ava mention your family a lot...but I've never heard either of you bring up your mother." Sylvia's eyes opened and she glanced at Lucy. "You don't need to answer if you don't want to but... What happened to your mother?"

"Come on Cosplayer, let her focus on Erza, will ya?" Bickslow said as he came over. "Yea. Focus, focus." 

"Sorry," Lucy said as she stood up and moved towards Hibiki who'd summoned his Archive Magic to try tracking the different groups their alliance had split into.

"Mothers." Lucy turned back. "You can stick around if you want to hear more." Lucy sat back down next to Sylvia and the girl's silver eyes moved from Erza to Lucy. "Ava and I are really half-sisters...and cousins. That aunt she was talking about who summoned Pisces was my mother. Ava's mother...she was kidnapped about nine years ago and then murdered the year after. My mother summoned Pisces trying to find her sister. But that failed. My grandmother and lots of our family friends wen to the Magic Council, begging them to help us. But they turned us away, treating us like we were insane. We knew where they were but the people at the place outnumbered our little viallage so we couldn't go in without help. We even told those people we begged where they could find it but they never made a move against that accursed tower. Not until just before Laxus came home to tell Ava to come to Magnolia. My mother got really depressed after we learned of my aunt's death and left to...find herself...I guess. So Gran and our father, Gil, raised Ava and me. And that's our story until now," Sylvia explained. Lucy's eyes widened.

"Tower? Wait. Ava's mother was a slave in the Tower of Heaven with Erza and Jellal and those kids?!" Lucy thought. "And the Counsel knew what was going on?!" 

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose a mother. My own mother died when I was a little girl." Sylvia gave Lucy a gentle smile.

"Thanks." Lucy looked down and gasped slightly. The glow around Sylvia's hands had dimmed and the area the poison rested at had expanded. Sylvia turned her attention back to Erza.

"Sorry. I'll go now." Lucy got up and moved back to Bickslow, Evergreen and Hibiki. "Man...Every time I meet someone new in the Guild their backstories get darker and darker."

"Most of us came to the Guild as orphans. So you want to know everyone, be prepared to cry," Bickslow said. Lucy was honestly surprised by his gentle tone. FOr the first time ever, he didn't stick his tongue out, nor did he sound like he was about to crack a joke. Instead he looked at Sylvia, shoulders drooped before he turned back to Hibiki. "Find anyone yet?"

"Well...I found Ren and Eve...Then Mr. Ichiya."

"Wait, weren't they a group?" Lucy asked.

"He must've gotten separated somehow...But the Lamia Scale guys seem to be alright...By the way, Lucy, aren't you going to go join a group?" Hibiki asked.

"Nah. I need to stay here with Erza. I can't leave her. And it's not like I'd be any help, I'm obviously the weakest fighter in the whole group," the blonde sighed. Bickslow shook his head but didn't argue.

"You're just being modest. I've heard tales of your strength. There was the time you beat up 19 Vulcans who stood ten feet tall!" Sylvia snapped around and stared at her fellow blonde. "And in Fairy Tail's battle against Phantom! I heard you took out their infamous Master, Jose with your bare hands!" Bickslow pulled off his visor, pulling off his hood in the process and stuck a finger in his ear, scratching at the inside to make sure it was clear. "And the time in Ecolifa when you single-handedly took out an entire Dark Guild that had over a thousand members!"

"THat's stretching the truth," Lucy sighed, shaking her head.

"Explain to me why you think you're a weak fighter..." Sylvia breathed before turning back to her work.

"Ah! Here we go. Laxus and Natsu's group."

 

"So if she's a Sky Dragon Slayer, what does she eat for power?" Natsu asked Carla as she flew ahead of him, keeping pace with Laxus. Grey and Freed were lagging behind some.

"Air of course," Carla said.

"Does it taste any good?" the pink-haired Dragon Slayer asked. Laxus groaned.

"I don't know," Carla said, exasperated.

"This is gonna be my whole day, isn't it?"

"How exactly is that different from breathing?" Grey asked Freed, who simply shook his head, not knowing an answer.

"You know, the only reason she applied for this mission is because she wanted to get the chance to meet you two," Carla said, looking from Laxus to Natsu.

"Why us?" Laxus asked.

"Because you're both fellow Dragon Slayers. There was something she wanted to ask you two."

"Did she tell you?" Natsu asked as he quickened his pace so he was almost at pace with Laxus.

"Yes. Apparently, the dragon who taught her Dragon Slayer Magic mysteriously disappeared seven years ago. SHe was hoping you might be able to tell her its whereabouts," Carla said. Laxus grit his teeth and scowled.

"I need more info, what's the dragon's name?"

"I believe Wendy called her the Sky Dragon Grandine," Carla said, slightly hesitant.

"Sky Dragon Grandine...Seven years ago..." Natsu muttered, beginning to think over the information. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice a massive root until it smacked him in the face, knocking him flat on his back. The group stopped running and Laxus gave Natsu a glare. "Hold on!" Natsu said as he sat up. "Laxus, do you know?"

"No I don't. Let me explain something to you, flame-brain. My-"

"We know," Grey said. "Gramps told us after you got expelled. Your Dragon Slayer Magic comes from a lacrima. You're not a real Dragon Slayer." Lightning engulfed Laxus' body for a second as the man glared.

"Watch it ice-freak. I'm as real as Natsu and Gajeel. The only difference is that my magic comes from a rock implanted in my skull that contains bits and pieces of a lightning dragon," Laxus growled, pointing to his scar when he mentioned the location of the lacrima. "Natsu and Gajeel were raised by dragons, while I was raised by a power-crazed rogue Wizard and a perverted drunk. Now let's get moving." Laxus turned around and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he started on his way again. Carla gasped in horror.

"What's happened here?!" she cried, paws to her mouth. The group turned and everyone's eyes widened at the sight of the trees that had all been turned to pitch-black.

"What the heck..." Grey breathed as Freed reached for his sword.

"Oh man, that's creepy," Natsu said with a shiver. A stomp alerted the Dragon Slayers and they snapped around to see two massive men with monkey-like features coming towards them.

"Word on the street is it's caused by Nirvana, ain't that right Big Bro Zatto?" one said. Laxus caught sight of the man's blonde hair from his place in the shadows.

"Oh yea," said the other one, Zatto as he stepped up next to the other. "Magic so powerful the planet can't take it. Everything it touches withers up and dies." Laxus glanced around as more and more of the Dark Guild members began to appear, all of them having monkey-like features. Freed and Grey backed up until all four Wizards were standing in a circle.

"Oh dear, this is bad," Carla said nervously. "They've got us surrounded!"

"Word on the street is it's caused by Nirvana, ain't that right Big-"

"Would ya stop repeating yourself Big Bro Gato?" Zatto snapped.

"Oh man, I didn't even realize it Big Bro Zatto."

"Oh man, Those two have got to be the dumbest monkeys I've ever seen!" Natsu said excitedly, throwing his arms up and leaping from foot to foot as if trying to imitate a monkey. Laxus snarled in irritation.

"Gah!" screamed a dark-skinned member who pointed at them angrily. "You freaks are members of Fairy Tail, you're friends with that blonde chick!" He launched into a rant as his bosses talked to each other, the words becoming too jumbled for him to make sense of anything anyone was saying.

"Oh! That one's an angry monkey!" Natsu cheered.

"Don't go messing with Naked Mummy, we're with the Oracion Seis," Gato warned.

"That's right. You got a death wish pal?" Zatto asked as he raised a fist, red magic coming to life around it.

"Naked Mummy?" Laxus said.

"If I recall correctly, Lucy faced against these people in Ecalifa, correct?" Freed asked.

"Yea. Took 'em out on her own," Grey said with a smirk as Laxus' eyes widened at the information. He looked around again, taking in the numbers.

"All of them?"

"I guess."

"It was a trap," Carla hissed past clenched teeth. "They tricked us into thinking we'd be fighting six Wizards!"

"Well I say the more the merrier," Freed said, unsheathing his sword. Lightning began to buzz around Laxus' arms. Grey place his fist in his palm and cold mist seeped into the air.

"No kiddin, bring on the monkeys!" Natsu cheered.

"What in the world's gotten into you four?! We should run while we have the chance!" Carla chastised.

"No way, that would be rude," Laxus said, a smirk growing on his face.

"Especially after they were kind enough to come to us," Grey said with a matching smile. Carla gasped as she stepped away from the males. "We're not leaving until they tell us where their base is." Natsu's hands became engulfed in fire and he began swinging his arm in a massive circle.

"Where're you hiding our friends Happy, Ava and Wendy?" he asked. Carla looked from the Dark Guild, which was now beginning to grunt like the animals they resembled, and then back to the Wizards she'd come with.

"I'm beginning to think these Fairy Tail Wizards are completely insane. DO they honestly think they can take on this entire Guild alone?!" Laxus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Just watch us," he said.

 

"Sorry it took so long." Ava glanced up at Racer as he set down a massive purple coffin shaped like a cross with golden markings across the front. Chains were wrapped around it as if whoever had been put inside might resurrect and attempt to escape. "The thing's so heavy it was hard for me to build up any speed. I always thought I was fast but after that trip I'm starting to doubt myself." Brain stepped up to the Speed Wizard.

"Let me assure you Racer, there is no one on earth who can come close to matching your speed."

"What is that?" Wendy asked. Happy gasped as he looked up.

"It's a coffin..." Ava held Wendy close as Brain turned to them.

"It's time Wendy, are you ready to use your healing magic to resurrect the man inside?"

"No!" Wendy yelled. "I told you...I don't wanna do it and you can't make me!"

"Yea, you heard the lady!" Happy defended.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I forgot to mention; You have no choice in the matter!" Ava stood up, placing Wendy behind her and pointing her Trident at the man before her.

"Only rabid dogs threaten children! This is your one warning. One more word out of you that I think implies a threat and I'll run you through!" A brush of air on her back was all the warning Ava had before Racer grabbed her Trident and pulled it up against her neck, pulling her to the far side of the cave and away from Wendy.

"Miss Ava!"

"Stay calm Wendy. Someone's coming for us right now, I know it. So just relax. Everything's going to be fine, I promise," Ava assured with a gentle smile. Brain went up to the coffin and pulled on the chains, breaking them off. The purple front melted away, revealing a teenage boy with blue hair, held up by the chains with a red mark over his right eye. Some of his veins glowed pale blue.

"Allow me to introduce you to Jellal, a brilliant Wizard who once infiltrated the Magic Counsel," Brain said.

"It's not him...It can't be," Happy said shakily.

"But it is. Once he's revived, he will lead us to Nirvana."

"Revive him?!" Ava yelled. "As in bring him back from the dead?!"

"Is that really him?" Wendy breathed.

"How do you know Jellal?!" Happy cried.

"Overexposure to Eathernano caused him to fall into a catatonic state. Though rendered unconscious, he is far from dead," Brain explained before smiling at Wendy. "And you are the only Wizard with the power to revive him. Isn't that the least you could do after all he's done for you?" Wendy bit her lip.

"Wendy..." Ava breathed. "I need to send my Trident back...But to do that, I have to let go. And if I let go now, Racer can smash my throat in before it disappears...Just wait a bit Wendy. I know Natsu's on his way at least. If Laxus heard me, he's coming too. Please just wait a little longer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Okay...gonna end it there for now. So please leave a comment, a kudos or a bookmark if you liked it. Seriously we are so very close to this plot twist's reveal I can barely contain myself!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laxus and Ava are finally reunited but not in the ways they'd like. And a new twist appears.

Laxus' eyes scanned the Dark Guild, carefully taking count of the number of members there were.

"Hey bro, I got a great idea," Gato said over the screeching underlings. "Let's show these guys just how terrifying Naked Mummy can be. What do you think about that?"

"That sounds fun," Zatto said, a wide smirk showing off his yellowing teeth. "Good idea. But I'm afraid they won't even know what hit 'em. Cause it'll be over so quickly."

"Yea it will. But I'm thinking we should show these dudes firsthand just how terrifying Naked Mummy can be. Sound good to you?" Laxus' fist clenched in irritation.

"This is just not my day. First Ava gets kidnapped by some Dark Guild psychos, and now I have to deal with these annoying Wizard-wannabes," the blonde thought as a snarl rolled past his teeth.

"Isn't that what you just said? And I agree," Zatto replied.

"So you're thinking what I'm thinking; About teaching these guys just how terrifying-"

"Let's teach these guys a lesson!" Zatto bellowed. Instantly, dozens of the Dark Guild members rushed forward, magic shotguns in hand.

"These clowns really need to work on the lame comedy routine," Natsu said with a smirk.

"Yea and the whole bro act is a bit of a stretch," Grey agreed.

"I don't care about the lame act," Laxus snapped. "Let's just beat these numbskulls into next week and find Ava and the kid."

"And Happy too!" Natsu snapped before Laxus leapt forward and punched one of the members in the chest, sending a lightning bolt through him and into some of the men standing behind him, effectively knocking them out.

"Dark Ecriture: Pain!" Freed's spell did little to alleviate the noise level as a handful of the Dark Wizards fell back, screaming in agony, but a quick cast of a barrier spell and the men were caught. Other members were raising their guns towards the two older mages, planning to catch them off guard, but none of them saw a pink-haired Fire Wizard coming right at them until his flaming fists grabbed the ends of their guns and melted them down. Grey slammed his hands into the ground and a sheet of ice shot forward and turned into a burst of ice, effectively trapping the men's arms to their sides. The clearing began to reek of ozone and smoke as dark shadows and frozen mist swirled and mixed in midair.

"Alright Fairies!" yelled the member who'd been screaming about them knowing Lucy. "Get yourselves a taste of my magic shotgun!" he yelled as he took aim at Laxus' back. The blonde's arms were suddenly grabbed by three or four Dark Wizards each and another latched onto his legs. Laxus turned his head to see the Wizard pull the trigger. An explosion of smoke appeared, hiding Laxus from view entirely.

"Laxus!" Freed cried.

"Don't worry about him," Grey said with a smirk in place. Freed looked to his companion before looking back at where the smoke was beginning to clear. Natsu stood in front of Laxus, chest and edges of his vest smoking a little from absorbing the magic from the gun. "Fairy Tail or no, Natsu's not just gonna let someone he's allies with get hurt if he can do something about it."

"Well, thank goodness for that," Freed sighed in relief. Laxus's lightning covered his arms, sending his captures flying before he kicked the last one off his legs and into a tree. The two Dragon Slayers smirked and faced the man who'd taken the shot.

"That really should've worked better!" the shooter cried. Both Slayers lunged forward, fire and lightning coming to life on their fists just as they connected with the man's jaw, sending him flying into the air with a scream.

"They're a whole lot tougher than they look," Gato commented. "What do we do?"

"I thought we already talked about this...Or...Didn't we?"

"But they're a lot tougher than they look," Gato repeated.

 

The air was tense as Ava looked from Wendy to Brain and then to the teenage boy hanging in the coffin.

"Jellal...Is that really him?" Wendy breathed, brown eyes looking over the boy in front of her.

"Happy, you know this person too?" Ava asked, grunting as she wrestled with Racer over the Trident.

"It's not like we're friends. He tried killing me, Erza and a bunch of other people. He's the one who got the Counsel to fire the Etherion Cannon," Happy explained. Ava's eyes widened as she looked up again at the boy.

"He's the one who...who got those idiots to fire on the Tower of Heaven?" she thought. She shook her head hard as her eyes began to sting. "No. Now's not the time to get all sentimental. We've gotta get out of here." 

"I know, I heard about that," Wendy managed.

"But I thought Jellal was ancient history!" Happy continued, seemingly ignoring Wendy's pained voice as she bowed her head so her bangs cast shadows over her eyes.

"He is indeed," Brain said. "A shell haunted by a restless spirit and full of miserable ideals."

"Miserable ideals? What are they talking about? If this guy convinced the Magic Counsel to fire on the Tower of Heaven...Don't they realize that he destroyed what those darned cultists were trying to build? What hundreds were murdered for? What my mother was killed for?" Ava thought to herself.

"But also a man who has given you the greatest gift," Brain finished, gesturing to Wendy.

"What? He did?" Happy asked. "What does that mean?" The girl sniffled, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. On the one hand, the Oracion Seis were her enemy and she should not help them. But she owed Jellal a debt that could barely ever be repaid.

"This is your opportunity to return the favor and revive him!" Brain said, his voice raising.

"Don't do it!" Happy implored. "No matter what this guy says, don't wake him up!" Wendy bit her lip, her breathing becoming heavy as her thoughts swirled in her mind, trying to find a way out while still repaying her debt. None were coming to mind. "Please don't do it." Wendy released her lip and clenched her feet. "You can't!" Ava and Wendy gasped when the sound of a knife sliding from its sheath echoed through the cave.

"So, are you refusing?" Brain asked as he pointed the end of the blade at Jellal's forehead. His arm moved, preparing to stab the defenseless boy.

"No please don't!" Wendy screamed. At the very last second, Brain turned the blade away so it just grazed the side of his head, causing a tiny stream of blood to make its way over Jellal's mark and a few blue hairs fell to his shoulder. Wendy released a sigh of relief as she fell to her knees with a rather painful-sounding CLUNK! "Please...I beg you." Brain put the knife away and raised a hand to Wendy, blasting part of the floor next to her in warning, making her squeak and move closer to Happy.

"How dare you!" Ava screamed, lunging forward as best she could, actually managing to make Racer stumble a few steps. "Only craven, cowardly, rabid mongrels threaten children and people who can't defend themselves like that! Pick on someone your own size, you mindless, gutless slug!" Brain regarded the woman as she snarled at him. "Let me remind you, if you harm that girl, I will rip you apart limb from limb and I won't feel bad about it at all! You think I'm bluffing, you won't be the first big fish I ripped apart while it was alive!" Brain turned back to Wendy.

"Revive him," Brain ordered, as if Ava's threat had never been presented. "You have the power to do so."

"No that's the last thing you wanna do," Happy insisted. "They're planning to use him to steal Nirvana."

"But I have to repay him," Wendy said. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him..." Ava's eyes went soft as she looked to the girl as tears began to drip off her cheeks. "He was so kind to me...I've heard all those horrible stories about what he did...but I don't believe them!"

"I swear they're true. I was there, I saw it-"

"He's not the kind of person that could do that!" Wendy yelled, cutting the cat off.

"But...he did...Wendy," he said slowly. Ava bit her lip as her eyes shot from Jellal, to Brain, to Wendy and to Happy.

"Please just...just give me a little time to think about it..." Wendy pleaded.

"Fine. You have five minutes," Brain said. Ava bit her lip hard.

"Natsu, Laxus, if you're on your way, we need you right now! Please..." she thought, not knowing a similar prayer was being muttered in Happy's mind.

 

Sylvia grunted as her fingers curled and she focused more power on holding the poison in place. But she could still feel it seeping past her hold.

She released the magic and fell back, panting for air, not having realized she'd been holding her breath. She looked down at Erza's arm and grit her teeth. Even without her interference, the poison spread at the exact same pace. She smacked the ground and stood up.

"I'm wasting my time and magic power," she reported.

"What's the matter?" Evergreen asked.

"The poison's continuing to spread at the same pace it was before I started. I'm wasting time and power basically doing nothing. So, I'm going to go find a group to help."

"Hold on a moment. Lyon, Sherry and Jura could use an extra hand. I can upload a map to your head to help you find them," Hibiki said, typing away furiously.

"Wait a minute...Upload? I'm not a machine pal," Sylvia snapped before she felt a sudden twinge in her head. She winced and closed her eyes as a ringing began in her ear, deafening that one ear until it cut off with a slight ring like a tiny bell. Behind her closed eyelids, a map appeared with her face on one side and Lyon, Sherry and Jura's on the other and a red line was scribbled in between.

"Your little icon will move as you do, so check it often and stay on the line, alright?" Hibiki said. Sylvia nodded and ran off, leaving Lucy, Evergreen and Bickslow very confused as to what had just happened.

"What was that exactly?" Lucy asked.

"Just one of the many advantage Archive has. I can compartmentalize and distribute data much faster than imaginable if we only had oral means. Pretty neat huh?"

"Mind dumbing that down for those of us who may not be as techno-savvy as you?" Bickslow asked.

"Basically, I send the information from Archive and put it into someone's head, kind of like downloading it from a machine. It makes it easier to focus on other things while still keeping tabs on everyone. So when one of our groups finds Wendy, I can send them a map to our location and they'll make their way right back. Archive can also connect people's minds telepathically. And as for not being as tech-savvy, this type of magic is a fairly new concept so don't worry if you don't understand it."

"Wow...You've got all the bases covered, don't you?" Lucy asked as she went and sat down by Erza, hoping to provide a calming presence.

"Well, you can thank Master Ichiya," Hibiki said with a smile. "I'm just doing what I was taught."

"That troll-guy's a teacher?" Bickslow said, tongue flopping out. "Troll-guy, troll-guy." Hibiki let out a chuckle as he typed away.

 

"I don't believe it. The terrifying Naked Mummy was taken out by four puny Wizards," Zatto muttered, spitting out bloody mud and chips of yellow teeth.

"It's unreal. Naked Mummy was defeated by those four little guys," Gato said, dazed and twitching from lightning.

"Yea, I just got done saying I couldn't believe it happened!"

"Whew, talk about a workout," Laxus said as he twisted his head from side to side, causing a number of pops to resound from the base. Natsu rubbed at his shoulder and Grey panted for breath. All around the mages, Dark Guild Wizards were groaning in unconscious pain or shivering as they were held in ice.

"Those guys took a bit longer than I thought," Grey commented.

"And more effort than I expected," Freed added, sheathing his sword.

"What kind of idiots think taking out an entire Dark Guild is going to be a walk in the park?!" Carla snapped from her hiding place in some tree roots. "You all were outnumbered twenty to one at least!"

"In any event, we should continue the search for Lady Ava and Miss Wendy," Freed said. Laxus looked over at the leaders of the Dark Guild.

"You know, if these guys are taking orders from the Oracion Seis, maybe they know where they're hiding."

"That would make sense. However, they have no reason to divulge that information to us." Ignoring the rune mage, Natsu went over and grabbed Zatto by the front of his shredded shirt.

"Alright you big dummy, tell me where you guys' hideout is!" he demanded.

"I ain't telling you jack-squat," the Dark Wizard spat a bloody spray onto Natsu's face before he started chuckling. Natsu snarled and smacked his forehead against Zatto's effectively knocking him out before dropping him and moving on to Gato.

"How about you?!" he demanded, wiping the bloody spit

"These boys are so reckless," Carla muttered, shaking her head.

"Okay they're all yours buddy. Have at 'em," Gato said before he passed out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grey asked.

"Well, well. I see you pesky little flies are still buzzing around." Laxus snarled internally.

"I swear, one more person calls me small, little, puny or any synonym of the word, there won't be enough of them to fit in a matchbox," the blonde thought as he and the others turned to see a lanky man dressed on dark boots, baggy gray pants, a dark shirt and a long black coat with gold lining and red and white pieces hanging off to make a line across the pectorals and biceps. He had spiky silvery hair and dark eyes. Right under them were odd-looking tattoos.

"That's why I've been sent here to swat you down, you insects," he sneered.

"No..." Grey breathed, barely believing his eyes.

"Not this guy again," Natsu said.

"Again?" Freed asked. "They fought Erigor the Reaper and survived?" Natsu's face nearly split as he beamed and held up a hand in greeting.

"Hey, what's going on cool breeze? Long time no see. How ya been man?" Laxus let his head roll back as Freed pinched the bridge of his nose, Grey gave Natsu an unimpressed look as Erigor's jaw dropped in shock.

"What?! We're enemies you fool!" he snapped.

"Are you that dense?" Grey asked. "He's the guy who planned to kill Gramps and the other Guild Masters with the Lullaby Flute in Clover, remember?"

"Oh yea, he's the windbag I roasted on that bridge right?" Grey pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Talk about a jerk," Natsu muttered. Erigor summoned his wind to lift him from the branch he was perched on and hover him just above the heads of the other mages.

"After the fall of the Eisenwald Guild, I used my expertise as an enforcer in the service of the Oracion Seis, biding my time until now, the day I would finally have my revenge. The day Erigor the Reaper would rise again!"

"No one asked," Laxus snapped as he fisted his knuckles until they popped, lightning shooting from his palms with each sound.

"And if I heard you right, you're here looking for a rematch, right?" Grey asked, stepping back. Freed followed the Ice Wizard's lead.

"You got this guy?" Laxus asked, voice so quiet even Natsu almost missed it.

"Yea, I got 'im."

"Alright then. Just don't go getting yourself killed, kid."

"Thanks man," Natsu said with a smile as Laxus stuffed his hands in his pockets and backed away.

"He's going to fight again?" Carla asked in disbelief. "Reckless doesn't even begin to describe him."

 

Sylvia froze in her running as she came to the edge of a cliff. Red-hooded mages were standing on some of the cliffs just under her own and on the ground below was Jura, Sherry and Lyon surrounded by a few unconscious members of the Dark Guild.

"Foolish Lamia Scale Members," one of the Dark Wizards said as they all pulled out pads of paper and pens.

"Let us show you real magic!"

"Is that so?" Lyon challenged, putting his fist in his palm, pale green, icy mist clouding around him and his comrades.

"By drawing a picture?" Sherry asked.

"It's Picto-Magic," Jura said as the WIzards turned their pads of paper around.

"Unison Picto!" they yelled. In a puff of dust and dirt, dozens of tiny creatures bearing striking resemblances to squirrels save for the pink fur with darker spots and green leaves over their bellies.

"What are they? Goblins?" Lyon asked.

"Oh my goodness, I'm in love!" Sherry cried.

"Don't let your guard down!" Sylvia yelled as she leapt down from her cliff, Trident appearing in her hand. Her descent slowed as she neared them and she landed, ready to fight. "They may be cute but trust me, they'll attack without mercy." As if on cue, the little goblins rolled into balls and threw themselves at the mages, who raised their arms to defend their faces. The tiny creatures bashed into the Wizards with enough force to bruise at the very least. Lyon stomped his foot and a wall of ice shot up, catching a few of the creatures before they could hit him.

"We have to fight them Sherry!" he snapped. Sylvia smacked a few away with her Trident. Jura knocked the beings off his massive arms and shoulders. Tearfully, Sherry created a doll from a nearby tree that swatted the goblins away. The minute they landed from being thrown away, some of them reached for places that had been hit and began crying loudly.

"Oh the poor widdle things," Sherry cooed as she bent down and picked up a little goblin that had come over to her and was reaching up with his tiny paws, begging for some comfort like a human child.

"I almost feel bad. If they hadn't attacked us I might comfort one," Sylvia said as another goblin came up to her, reaching for her the same way Sherry's had. "Oh no you don't," she said sternly, bending down to push the goblin away a little. "You did something bad and got punished for it. I'm not going to say I'm sorry for that because I'm not." Lyon glanced at the blonde from the corner of his eyes and smiled a little at her stern attitude.

"Don't you dare take your eyes off the cute little goblins," one of the Dark Wizards said as he and his Guild mates scribbled madly.

"Unison Picto!" they all cried. Another cloud of dust and dirt exploded into existence, completely blinding the Wizards for a few moments.

A roar shook the earth, sending all the Wizards, the Saint included, to their knees. Sylvia and Lyon looked up as the dust began to clear and a triangular head covered in green scales appeared. Another roar ripped through the last of the dust as the beast spread its wings, revealing the two legs holding it up.

"It that a wyvern?!" Lyon gaped with wide eyes.

"He's not quite as cute," Sherry said nervously.

"They are remarkably skilled artists," Jura commented.

"Not the time!" Sylvia snapped as the group turned and began running to try and buy a few seconds to strategize. The wyvern chased after them.

"Their magic is strong," Jura commented again.

"Again, not the time!" Sylvia snapped as she spun on her toes and slammed the dull end of her Trident into the ground. "Water Cage!" Tendrils of water shot up from the earth and hooked around the Wyvern, creating a birdcage around the beast. It roared in frustration. "Hit it! Now!" Lyon leapt forward, Sherry quick behind him.

"Ice Make: Snow Tiger!" Sylvia watched in awe as the ice quickly formed, layer upon layer until a massive cat the size of the wyvern stood behind the silver-haired teen. An arm of ice rose, the claws catching the light like gemstones before the paw came down against the caged creature, scraping a few scales loose and drawing blood while the Ice Make Beast's arm shattered to the flank, sending tiny ice crystals and water into the air as the beast continued to hit the wyvern until nothing was left of the ice beast.

"Marionette Attack: Rock Doll!" Sherry cried as one of her own creations hit the wyvern over the head. The wyvern roared and Lyon leapt back as the creature spread its wings. He looked over his shoulder to speak to one of his companions but the words froze in his mouth as he caught sight of Sylvia. The water and ice crystals caught the light that filtered through the trees as they fell on and around her. Her silver eyes were flashing and her blonde hair moved like a pale-golden curtain in the breeze.

"Lyon, look out!" the blonde cried as she leapt forward, catching Lyon by the shoulder and using the momentum to roll the both of them out of the way as the wyvern wised up and lunged forward, breaking through the water bars and snapping its jaws right into the ground where Lyon had been standing mere seconds before.

"Thank you," he said, breathlessly as he got up.

"No problem," Sylvia responded as she stood up. "Just remember to stay focused." Lyon nodded as the wyvern stretched its wings and took to the skies before diving back down. Sylvia spun her Trident in her fingers before bringing the prongs down into the dirt. "Piercing Geyser!" she cried. The earth around her gave way to a massive stream of boiling water as it shot into the air, striking the wyvern right in the soft underbelly, turning him into an explosion of dust. The goblins followed him.

The Dark Wizards began to panic some as the geyser died down some and Sylvia stood there, soaking wet and panting for breath but otherwise unharmed.

"They beat the wyvern so quickly!"

"Can we draw something scarier?"

"They stop being drawings when they start breathing and bleeding. And your careless use of living creatures to do your dirty work makes me sick!" Sylvia snapped as she pointed the prongs of her Trident at the Wizards. "Tidal Surge!" The rocks the Dark Wizards were standing on began to shake. Tiny cracks appeared and water began gushing from the breaks until the entire rock wall gave way, washing the Wizards right to Sylvia's feet where the water vanished before it could pass her.

 

Grey put up a shield of ice as Erigor created a blast of wind and shot it at the group. Even behind the thick ice, the Wizards could feel the effects of the spell.

"I think this joker's gonna be a major step up from those pack of monkeys," Grey warned as Natsu smirked deviously.

"No problem, I got this." With that, Natsu leapt over the ice shield and his fist burst into flames. "Fire Dragon..." Erigor put up his own hand and muttered a spell that not even Laxus could pick up. "Iron First!" Natsu's fist struck Erigor's spell, creating fiery trails in the air around the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Fire doesn't seem like the best thing to use against wind, does it?" Carla asked as she neared the on looking males.

"You may not think so," Grey said with a shrug. "Natsu may have had trouble against this guy in their last fight, but he's a whole lost stronger now than he was back then."

"No way..." Erigor breathed as he realized his spell wasn't holding Natsu back at all. The pink-haired Dragon Slayer smirked.

"Fire Dragon Talon!" Natsu cried as his foot caught fire and flew, catching Erigor by the shoulder and sending him flying back. Natsu landed with ease as Erigor nursed his wounded arm.

"I see you've stepped up your game, little fly!" Erigor sneered.

"Glad ya noticed," Natsu said as fire surged around him, creating an inferno of heat. "But I don't have time to play with you right now. I've gotta kick your butt real quick so I can go and rescue my friends!"

"But you still have a big mouth," Erigor muttered, a wicked smirk coming to his lips as a thought came to mind. He raised two fingers on each hand and crossed them in front of him. "This'll shut you up! Emera Baram!" A massive blast of wind ripped through the trees and rocks. Grey grabbed Carla and all the males braced against the wind, only to be sent flying back by the force. Erigor threw his head back, cackling wildly as dust clouded the air. "What do you say to that you pest. You're not the only one who's improved. Ever since our last battle, I've been training nonstop to increase my destructive power, waiting for the day when I could take you down at last!" As the dust cleared, flickers of flame made themselves known as Natsu growled and Grey, Freed and Laxus stood back up.

"That's just pitiful," Natsu snarled. "If all you've been thinking about is revenge this whole time, you haven't grown one bit!"

"What?!" Erigor roared.

"I guess I should be flattered, I didn't realize I was so important to ya," Natsu said with a shrug. Grey made a noise of approval as Erigor's teeth clenched. The Wind Wizard relaxed and shook his head.

"You don't understand a thing. This isn't about what you did to Eisenwald, or on behalf of the Oracion Seis. It's not about you at all, it's about me! I won't be beaten!" Laxus' eyes widened as he could remember saying the same type of things during Fantasia.

"We'll just see about that," Natsu said before the inferno around him blazed at a brand new level, reaching high into the sky and becoming so hot that even from the distance they were at, Grey, Freed, Laxus and Carla were knocked breathless by the heat. "You and me! Let's go!" Natsu roared. Erigor charged forward, wind creating tornadoes around his arms. Natsu's inferno became concentrated on his hands. "I'll blow you away!"

"Magic Wind Palm!" Erigor roared, slamming his hands together and creating a massive cyclone that crashed into the ground right where Natsu had been standing, crushing the stone and sending it flying. Natsu burst from the cloud of dust, fist aflame as he neared Erigor.

"Flame Lotus Fire Dragon Fist!" the Dragon Slayer roared as volley after volley of flaming strikes rained down on Erigor until the man's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the earth. Natsu landed with almost practiced ease and smirked at his victory.

"Why'd ya have to drag that one out so long ya pyro?!" Grey jabbed playfully.

"My word," Carla commented.

"Heavens above an oceans below..." Laxus breathed.

"Did you say something?" Freed asked.

"No, nothing," Laxus replied quickly. "Good grief Ava, you're rubbing off on me." 

"I didn't know the Salamander was this powerful," Carla thought as Natsu went over to Erigor and grabbed him by his jacket and began shaking him.

"Alright you big blow-hard! You better wake up and tell me where your creepy friends took Happy, Wendy and Ava. And pronto!" Natsu demanded.

"Oh geez," Grey sighed.

 

Sylvia reached down and grabbed one of the hooded Wizards by the front of their shirt and shook them.

"Where're the Oracion Seis hiding?" she demanded.

"Why would I tell you?" Sylvia pressed the prongs of her Trident into the Wizard's throat, drawing a slight trickle of blood.

"Because my sister was taken by the Oracion Seis. And if Laxus Dreyar finds out his wife was hurt because you stalled me, I can't promise you'll live to tell the tale." The Wizard bit their lip. "Now, talk. And you might be able to live to old age." Lyon smirked at the blonde Water Wizard.

"An ancient village in the west. That's all I know! I swear!" the Wizard cried, hands raised in surrender.

"Thank you," Sylvia said before she knocked the Wizard over the head with her Trident and dropped him to the ground.

"What does that mean though?" Lyon asked.

"Don't know," Sylvia said.

"You gotta love the irony," Sherry said. "These hooded flunkies the Guild sent to keep us away ended up telling us right where to find them."

"First, it's not irony. It's how a Dark Guild works. You worry about yourself. And second, they didn't tell us exactly where to find them, they gave us a direction. And if we actually trust what they're saying, they could be leading us into another trap. Or just sending us in the opposite direction. A Dark Guild isn't exactly known for being honest."

"I want you three to start heading west," Jura said.

"And what will you be doing?" Sylvia asked.

"An enormous magical force is coming this way," the Saint said.

"Is it one of the Seis?" the Water Wizard asked.

"Most likely. I shall remain here and engage them." Sylvia rolled her eyes.

"You told us that we should never engage one of the Seis alone but now you're going to be doing it?" 

"Very well then," Lyon said, taking hold of Sylvia's wrist. "Sherry, let's go."

"Right," the redhead said as Lyon tugged Sylvia after him and the three bolted west.

 

"Time is up..." Brain said. Ava swallowed thickly as Wendy's arms began shaking.

"Please don't do it Wendy!" Happy implored. Brain shot a look at the cat before blasting him with magic, sending him flying back into the wall.

"Happy!" Ava cried as she moved in an attempt to get closer to the cat, only to have Racer yank her back.

"Look. Your magic can bring him back. So, will you help your friend or leave him like this?" Wendy remained silent. "You must!"

"Leave her alone!" Ava snapped, earning Brain's heated glare directed at her. "She's just a little girl! No need to be screaming at her!"

"Jellal..." Wendy thought to herself.

 

"So, you think this is the place?" Natsu asked as Laxus, Freed, Grey, Carla and himself looked over the edge of a cliff. On the opposite side of the massively deep valley were a few waterfalls that were filling the bottom of it. Right in the middle was a tiny island with a few old huts and fences. Laxus sniffed the air, catching the scent of water lilies, fish, and a light, airy scent he didn't recognize but could wager it was the Wendy girl everyone kept talking about.

"I'd say so. I can smell them...I think. I can definitely smell Happy and Ava. But there's another one I don't know so I'm guessing it's Wendy." Natsu nodded.

"Happy! Wendy! Ava!"

"Be quiet!" Carla hissed. "Our enemy might be hiding down there!"

"Wendy!" A scream echoed off the valley walls and Laxus' eyes flashed gold for an instant as he recognized his wife's voice.

"That's Ava," Laxus said as he tensed, ready to leap down and take flight. Just as he was about to, a solid punch sent him sprawling back. Natsu, Grey, Freed and Carla were sent skidding back. Natsu growled and looked up at a tree where he spotted Racer.

"What's this guys doing here?" Grey stood up and brushed some dust off his shirt before he stepped forward.

"I can handle this guy. You all need to get down there and help them," Grey said firmly.

"I'll help you," Laxus said, standing up as lightning began cackling around his fists. "Freed, you can take Ava back to the others, right?" The rune mage nodded before taking out his sword.

"Dark Ecriture: Wings!" Once the dark appendages had grown, Freed grabbed Natsu and Carla, who was too dizzy from Racer's attack to even protest as Freed slung her over his shoulder.

"Oh no you don't. You'll stay right here!" Racer said as he started towards Natsu, Freed and Carla. Grey slammed his hand onto the ground, creating a sheet of ice to and up the tree Racer had been perched in, causing the Dark Guild Wizard to slip and fall flat.

"Let us go," Freed said as he flapped his wings, bringing him into the air before he descended into the village.

"Happy! Ava!" Natsu called. "Wendy! Are you here!" Carla slowly came around on Freed's shoulder.

"Answer us child!" she called.

"Lady Ava!"

"Natsu! Carla! Freed!"

"That's Happy," Natsu said as the three looked towards one of the waterfalls where a cave was almost entirely hidden from view.

"There! That cave!" The three rushed forward, Natsu and Carla making it to the entrance first and both froze upon the sight inside.

"What's the matter?" Freed asked as he neared. But once he was next to Natsu, his breath froze in his chest. Brain stood closest to the entrance, next to him was a young man with blue hair and a red mark over his right eye, bending down over an unconscious Wendy. Ava lay sprawled on the cave floor, Trident in hand.

"Jellal..." Natsu growled. Jellal looked over at Natsu before returning his attention to Wendy. His hand reached towards her and Natsu's hand burst into flames. "Don't you touch her!" the pink-haired Dragon Slayer roared as he charged forward. Freed took the distraction to rush to Ava's side. Jellal's head snapped up and he stood before making a quick motion with his hand. A burst of golden light had Natsu flying back into a wall.

"Natsu!" Freed called as he pulled Ava into his arms. Jellal looked over at him but otherwise ignored him as Brain stepped up next to the man.

"Thankfully your condition hasn't diminished your power," he said observantly. Jellal snapped around and made another quick motion with his hand. The ground under Brain glowed and the man vanished into a hole. Freed gasped as he turned to see Jellal walking towards him. The blue-haired man regarded him and Ava for a moment before returning to Wendy. Gently, he bushed a hair from her face. The blue-haired man looked at Freed one last time before leaving the cave.

Freed was perplexed to say the least. This person was obviously not someone Natsu liked, who Natsu had a violent and angry history with. Yet he was so gentle with Wendy. Who exactly was this Jellal person?

"Natsu!" Happy cried as he neared the teen who'd hatched him. "Come on, you've gotta wake up!" Natsu instantly snapped up.

"Alright! Let's rock! Bring it on!" Natsu said as he looked around wildly for Jellal.

"He just left," Freed informed as he stood and neared the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"That coward!" Natsu snarled.

"Listen here now," Carla said sternly as she neared on her feet. "I'm aware that the two of you have some kind of history. But right now our first priority needs to be getting Wendy back to the others as soon as possible." Natsu snarled under his breath. "You do want to save your friend, don't you?"

"Man...I hate that guy!" Natsu roared, releasing a wave of heat in his rage before he headed for the cave's entrance. "But you're right so let's get goin."

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered as his wings appeared.

 

Ice and lightning flew around as Grey and Laxus tried hitting Racer as he sped around them.

"This guy's crazy fast, it's nuts," Grey panted.

"I can't even keep up with him," Laxus muttered.

"As a matter of fact I'm the fastest man alive," Racer bragged as he came to a stop. "You'll never beat me because you'll never catch me. They call me Racer."

"We knew that, moron!" Laxus snapped as he shot another bolt of lightning, only to miss the man by a microsecond as he vanished, reappearing in a tree. Laxus snapped back around, catching sight of the opposing Wizard. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Freed carrying Ava, Happy with Natsu and Carla holding an unconscious girl with long blue hair flying through the air.

"Natsu found 'em!" Grey cheered.

"But how? Brain would never let them slip away! How did they get past him?!" Racer demanded.

"They probably just beat him senseless!" Grey said, preparing to cast another spell.

"Well, end of the line," Racer said before he vanished again. Laxus' eyes widened in horror as he realized the Dark Wizard's target.

"Freed! Natsu! Watch out!" Lightning arced around him as he took to the skies, just as Racer appeared behind the Rune mage and the cats, delivering a harsh kick to the cats before turning on Freed. The green-haired Wizard threw up an arm in defense but Racer vanished from view again, only to appear behind the Wizard and delivering a sharp kick to the man's skull.

Laxus roared in rage, aiming a lightning bolt right at the Speed Wizard, only just missing him. The massive blonde caught Freed as he fell, slinging him over his shoulders as he held his wife against his chest. Natsu landed on his back on the ground but raced to catch Wendy, holding her against him as he stood up and collected an unconscious pair of flying cats in his free arm and took off running. Laxus flew just over the Fire Dragon Slayer's head.

"I told you it's the end of the line!" Racer called as he chased them. Laxus snarled as he turned in midair and pulled back the arm that had been keeping Freed secure, praying he didn't drop the Rune Mage.

"Ice Make: Rampart!" Grey cried breathlessly as he stretched out his arms. A massive wall of ice burst into existence and Racer crashed head-first into it. Laxus landed as Natsu slowed and looked back.

"You got him?" the Fire Dragon Slayer called as Laxus readjusted his grip on Freed.

"Just go!" Grey barked as he panted for breath. Laxus could smell how badly the Ice Make Wizard was sweating from the exertion of making such a massive thing in so little time after having been using his magic all day. "I said, I can handle this guy by myself!"

"I don't know," Natsu said warily. "I can tell you've burned through a bunch of your power."

"Just go! I got this!" Grey insisted.

"Thanks man..." Natsu said quietly.

"Laxus, you too! Natsu's got both hands full. He'll need help if someone tries anything! Just go already! Erza's life depends on it!" Natsu growled before Laxus turned to him.

"He's got a point. We need to get moving. Sylvia might be able to hold the poison back for now but she can't do it forever." Natsu nodded and the two took off running.

"Fine! But once she's healed, we're coming back for ya!" Natsu yelled over his shoulder. Grey smirked.

"Yea...I know you will," he breathed as Racer stood up beside him.

"Impressive...This is the second time you've managed to stop me."

"And it certainly won't be the last. You know ice can freeze everything right?" Grey cast Racer a dark glare from the corner of his eye. "When I'm through with you, you'll be really slow pal. Because I'm gonna freeze you dead in your tracks forever."

 

Brain groaned as he came around, hair falling out of place and into his face.

"That was unexpected...But...perhaps I removed his shackles a bit prematurely...That said...this aggressive hostility he seems to harbor towards me is definitely a recent development. Was he aware all this time? Did he overhear us discussing our plans for Nirvana while he slept?" Brain asked before a thought made him gasp in horror. "No, it can't be!" Does he intend to hoard Nirvana's power all for himself?! He mustn't! It should belong to all of us! I cannot allow him to steal out power!" With that, the leader of the Oracion Seis threw his head back. "Cobra! Do you hear me?! Jellal has escaped to claim Nirvana! Find him and stop him at once!" Brain shouted, his words echoing through the cave, into the valley and off the walls into the Woodsea.

A good distance off, Cobra 's eyes narrowed as the words echoed in his ear.

"I hear ya Brain. Just like I hear that coward's footsteps," he said as he made his way out of the tree he was perched in. Cubelios hissed, the beast's tongue tickling his ear. Cobra's hand came up and gently caressed the snake's head. "Cubelios...That woman Brain brought in with the Sky Magic girl...She smelled exactly like...Do you think that woman could be Avastasia?" The snake hissed again, head bobbing in response. "So...After all this time...I finally meet her...But I have to fight against her...Avastasia Dragocia...What would our mother say about us fighting like this?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Dun-Dun-DUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love that plot twist! Dang! I have been way to excited for that one! What do you guys think? Leave a comment, Kudos or bookmark. Bye!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray battles Racer and gets some help from old and new allies.

Jellal walked slowly through the forest, coming upon Erigor's unconscious form. Brown eyes looked over the tattered garments adorning his own body and then over Erigor's singed but otherwise pristine clothes. Barely even taking a second to mull it over, Jellal set about stripping Erigor of his finer clothes and exchanging them with his own.

Once they were on, Jellal continued on his way through the woods, a single thought coming to his mind, making him halt and look down at his hand. His fingers were twitching oddly, almost in sync with his heart as the tempo of the beats increased by the second.

"Erza..." he said slowly and delicately, like a small child would a food that was familiar but there was no memory of ever having tried it before. A wave of calm washed over him, slowing his still-racing heart some and ceasing the tremor that had sprung to life in his fingers.

 

"You doing alright back there Laxus?" Natsu called over his shoulder.

"Just fine. Focus on where we're going," the Lightning Dragon Slayer said sharply, readjusting his grip on his wife cradled against his chest in one arm and his oldest friend, slung over his shoulder. Happy groaned as he began coming around.

"You okay little buddy?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu...where are we?" Happy said slowly, still disoriented.

"No talkin," Natsu said quickly. "You gotta rest up."

"But Jellal is out there," Happy informed. Laxus shot a surprised look at the cat. He'd heard about the Tower of Heaven countless times in Ava's village, but only around the week before Fantasia and his own stunt, had the topic arisen in the Guild Hall. And only at the Hall had he ever heard of Jellal and those particular stories did not give the man a good reputation.

"I know," Natsu said, not missing a beat. "But don't you worry. I'm gonna make sure he doesn't stick around long." Laxus cast a wary look at the other Dragon Slayer.

"If you're going to start thinking like that, you should try being a bit careful. It'll end you in a world of trouble one day," the blonde warned.

"Natsu. Laxus." Both Dragon Slayers froze in their tracks and began looking around for the source of the voice.

"What the heck?" Natsu breathed as he sniffed the air. "You heard that, right?"

"Yea...I heard it," Laxus remarked quietly.

"What's wrong? Why'd ya stop?" Happy groaned.

"Can you guys hear me?" Natsu turned towards a massive tree where he figure the voice was coming from.

"Yes Great Tree," he said reverently. Laxus groaned and looked to the sky as if begging the heavens for some kind of help.

"Great what? This is Hibiki from Blue Pegasus. At any rate, glad I could get through to you. No one else has responded so far."

"You're a ven-tree-loquist?" Natsu asked awestruck.

"Knock it off, flame-for-brains," Laxus snapped.

"You two may want to keep your voices down. The enemy has scouts all through the Woodsea." Laxus hummed to show he understood while Natsu groaned, trying to make natural sense of what exactly was going on.

"I'll explain in a bit," the blond offered.

"What's your status? Have you found Wendy, Ava and the cat?" Hibiki asked.

"We got them," Laxus informed.

"Ava and Wendy are still unconscious but Happy's already woken up," Natsu finished.

"That's wonderful. Now hang tight. I'm going to upload a map into your heads. It'll lead you straight to the temporary base we've set up. I was going to send it to the cat too but I can't seem to make a connection...I guess he's running low on magical power."

"Hold on," Natsu objected. "What is this upload stuff? Stay outta my head." A sharp ringing sprung to life in his ears and he winced at the sharp sound.

"Just bear it, it'll be over in a sec," Laxus said through clenched teeth as he shook his head, the same ringing echoing in his own ears. A small ding ceased the annoying sound and Natsu sighed, closing his eyes in relief. He gasped when instead of the darkness he should've seen, he saw a map with crude drawings of his and Laxus' faces on a red line leading to another crude drawing, this one of Erza.

"Laxus do you-"

"Yea, we should get moving," the blonde said as he took off, following the trail the map directed. Natsu was quick at his heels.

"Natsu...I think it's time you sought professional help," Happy said, genuinely concerned for the teenager who'd hatched him.

"Not now. We gotta follow this map inside our brains!" the pink-haired Dragon Slayer said excitedly.

"There's a map?" Happy asked.

"Yea, we can even see exactly where Erza is! Man, this upload stuff is cool! Thanks Great Tree...I mean...Hibiki!"

"Please hurry. I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time right now," Hibiki implored, both Slayers detecting the edge in his otherwise calm voice.

"We hear ya," Laxus said, speeding up a little.

"What is going on here? I'm confused," Happy whined.

"Archive Magic is a newer kind of magic. It can basically package information and send them into our brain. It makes it easier to inform others of anything than expressing it verbally. Like now. Instead of telling us where to turn and us probably getting lost because we see something he doesn't, he sent us a map showing exactly how to get to the camp. And so long as we follow it, we'll be able to save Erza."

"This is almost weird coming from you. Last time we saw you, you wanted to have the whole Guild fight each other to see who was the strongest! You threatened to blow up the whole town with the Thunder Palace!" Happy yelled. Laxus froze in his tracks and whirled around, lightning flashing in his eyes, turning the dark irises gold for a brief second.

"You may be perfectly fine with being one of the only members of Fairy Tail who can actually do something in life, but I wasn't!"

"I'm not the only one who can do something!" Natsu defended.

"Let's look at this. If something happened to all the S-Class Wizards, Gramps, Dragons Slayers, your team, my team and my wife and sister-in-law, I can count on one hand the people in the Guild who I could depend on to find some manner of work and attempt to keep the Guild afloat." Natsu's eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times before Laxus sighed. "Let's keep moving. We don't have time to waste on all this."

"Yea," Natsu agreed solemnly.

 

Grey felt his legs begin to tremble from the strain of using so much magic so quickly and having to hold up his own weight. Racer looked over at him, a wicked smirk playing over his lips, making the thin scars at the end crease.

"I'm impressed Fairy Tail, nobody's ever stopped me twice. To save face, I'll give yours a thrashing!" Grey's eyes narrowed.

"Is that so?" he drawled. Racer vanished and instantly, Grey was on edge, trying to catch any sign of the Speed Mage before he got hit.

"Once I leave you in the dust, I can catch up with the fire and lightning breathing brats in the blink of an eye!" the Dark Wizard jeered as Grey caught a glimpse of him as the raven-haired Ice Make Wizard whirled around.

"He's so fast!" Grey thought, mentally scrambling for anything he could use as a strategy. His magic wouldn't be enough, not the way it was right then.

"But first, I gotta run you over. I have a feeling it won't take me very long." Grey's eyes flashed as he whirled around again, slamming his fist into his palm.

"What'd you say?! You're going down!" With a yell, Grey slammed his hands into the ground. Instantly, spikes of ice appeared, shooting up from the grass, trying to catch Racer's feet to keep him immobile but the ice only just missed catching the man's toes by centimeters. Racer vanished again and Grey got ready to cast another spell when the need arose as his eyes flicked around, looking for anything signaling the Dark Wizard's approach. He caught a flash of red and gold right behind him and turned to fight, only to get a sharp kick to his ribs, hearing the bones creak and groan in protest.

"You think you can stop me?!" Racer prodded as Grey was sent rolling and sprawling in the dirt. "Tell you what Ice-boy, I'll let you off the hook if you just stay on the ground. That's where you belong anyway." Grey rolled onto his side and pushed himself up on his elbows.

"Over my dead body," he snarled as he forced himself to his knees.

"I can certainly arrange that," Racer assured before throwing a hand up. "Let's kick it into overdrive! Dead Grand Prix!" He brought his hand down, mimicking the signal famous in car races for the race to begin. A sound rang through the trees, sending any birds into the skies with panicked noises, something that Grey recognized as mechanical but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what he was hearing.

"What's that sound? This can't be good," he groaned. From the underbrush burst dozens of motorcycles that zipped by him, nicking him as they passed. Grey swore under his breath as he moved, trying to keep from being run over by the magical vehicles. "How many of them are there? I gotta get it together before I get ripped apart!"

"Enjoying my motor show from Hell?!" Racer sneered as he leapt onto one and missed running over Grey's foot by a hair's breadth. "This might be a little tougher than I thought."

"You're kidding! You can actually ride these scrap heaps?!" Grey jabbed, leaping out of the way of another driverless vehicle.

"Watch your mouth, ice-boy. These sleek wonders are almost as fast as I am. They'll run circles around a chump like you," Racer shot back. Grey smirked.

"That sounds like a challenge to me," he growled as he reached out and grabbed a handle as it passed him, letting it yank him off his feet. He winced as it almost yanked his shoulder out of its socket but he managed to climb on and settle himself in the seat. Right in front of him was a cuff attached to a wire leading right into the engine just under his seat. Grey grabbed the cuff and slipped it onto his wrist. Almost instantly, he could feel the unnatural tugging in his gut as his magic was slowly drained to power the engine. "Look! This chump just tamed a charger!" the Ice Make Wizard said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Well, fancy that," Racer said as he broke away from the pack of vehicles. Grey held up the cuffed wrist.

"I suppose I should thank you for including an SE Plug!" Grey called, trying to keep the nervousness in his stomach at bay as the other motorcycles began following Racer, and the Ice Wizard as a result.

He knew that by using this magic vehicle, he'd be chasing Racer, meaning the Dark Wizard was calling the shots. Not an ideal position to be in. For Grey to be dictating the terms of this fight, he'd need to use his magic. But having both the motorcycle sapping his energy on top of his spells was dangerous. On top of that, he had to keep at least one hand on the handlebars to keep the bike from falling over but the second that thought crossed his mind, his mentor's voice rang in his head, reminding him that one-handed Ice-Make spells were less reliable and would fail him when he needed them most.

Then another thought occurred to him. He wasn't the only student of Ur in the alliance. And the other student's creations could move when needed.

A smirk crossed his lips as he called out, "You and me! Let's go!"

"Oh yea, you really wanna race me? You don't stand a chance!" Racer called over his shoulder, unaware he'd taken Grey's bait.

"Underestimate me, and you'll be eating my dust buddy!" Grey called back. "Hook, line and sinker." The two drivers' engines revved as they sped through the trees. Grey was constantly shifting his attention from Racer to their surroundings for anything he'd need to dodge, and for any sign of Lyon. All around him, the pursuing motorcycles crashed into trees, turning into raging fireballs and flying shrapnel. In an attempt to avoid being skewered by any metal or caught up in the fires, Grey had to turn to motorcycle at sharp angles that almost had him tipping over entirely.

"Nice. Gotta say, for a member of a pathetically weak Guild, you've got some sharp instincts," Racer sneered after the last of the pursuing motorcycles burst into flames against a tree.

"WHat?!" Grey roared. "That's it, now I'm angry." His fist flew away from the handlebar and he grit his teeth as his mentor's words echoed in his head again. "Ice Make Lance!" Grey's jaw clenched when he saw the flimsy ice curling in midair and the dulled tips barely graze the back end of Racer's motorcycle as the two flew off the edge of a cliff.

"Maybe they're not as sharp as I thought," Racer chuckled.

"I'm still right on your tail man!" Grey snapped as he angled his motorcycle to land on the back wheel as the ground came up on them. Racer threw his head back and laughed as they landed, and continued on their way, practically neck and neck.

"My turn, have fun trying to dodge this Fairy!" the Dark Wizard called as he stretched out his hand. "High Side Rush!" A magic circle appeared in midair and dozens of tires shot right towards Grey. The dark-haired teen latched onto the brakes and turned his bike to the side, trying to slow himself down. The tires barely missed him by a hair's breath and almost hit his wheels a number of times before he stopped. Grey panted lightly as the last of the tires landed and bounced away.

"Close call, this guy's got some gears loose," he said with a quick shake of his head.

"What's up? Too intense for ya?" Racer chuckled as he too came to a stop. The front of his bike came apart, revealing the barrels of at least a dozen magic shotguns installed in the bike. Grey cursed under his breath and took off again.

 

"What do you think caused that explosion?" Sherry asked.

"Grey...Natsu...Pick one," Lyon said with a shrug.

"You don't sound worried," Sylvia noted.

"Because I'm not," the silver-haired man said flatly. Then, Grey appeared from the trees and skidded to a stop in front of the trio.

"Lyon!"

"Grey!?" Lyon and Sylvia said at the same time.

"Your timing couldn't be any better man. Hop aboard!" Grey ordered.

"Excuse me?" Lyon said, bewildered.

"You heard me so let's go!" Grey said. Lyon nodded and raced to get on the motorcycle behind Grey.

"What should we do?" Sylvia called over the revving engine.

"You two follow as quick as you can but stay far enough back that you don't get caught up in the fight. You'll basically be our backup," Grey said before turning the motorcycle away.

"Okay..." Sherry said slowly as the boys vanished around a bend. "How exactly do we do that?"

"We run after them!" Sylvia snapped as she took off after them.

 

"Grey, did you find Wendy?" Lyon asked as he stood up on the motorcycle and the two sped over a clear area of the Woodsea.

"Yea and Happy. Natsu's got both of them," Grey assured.

"Good, so what's the plan?" Lyon asked, turning his attention to Racer up ahead.

"I need you to help me take care of this speed freak. It's nearly impossible to cast spells while I'm driving this thing."

"Oh?" Lyon said, a smirk forming over his lips. "So you're saying you can't do this without me? Very well, I'll show you some real Ice-Make Magic."

"Just shut up and do it," Grey groaned as he rolled his eyes.

"Here goes!" Lyon's fist made a sharp SMACK as it hit his palm. Grey snapped around, eyes wide.

"How pathetic. You still use two hands when casting your Ice Make spells?" Lyon's mocking voice echoed in his head as memories of the silver-haired mage using only one hand to cast spells flashed before his eyes.

"L-Lyon, what are you doing? You never use two hands!"

"Didn't Ur teach us to use both hands?" Lyon said, keeping his focus on Racer. Grey smirked and nodded. "Ice Make Eagle!" Lyon yelled as he threw his hands forward. Dozens of birds crafted from ice zipped through the air, crashing into Racer's motorcycle and smashing it apart as well as themselves.

"Nice, he's down!" Grey cheered as the Dark Guild member vanished from sight and his motorcycle rolled, scattering pieces as it dragged.

"I don't think so," Lyon muttered, just before Racer appeared above them.

"You're gonna pay for trashing my ride," he growled before his leg swung, aiming for the boys. Grey and Lyon dove to one side, sending the bike tumbling into the grass.

"Now!" Lyon barked.

"Ice Make..." The two students of Ur slammed their fists into their palms and felt the rush of adrenaline that came with using magic.

"Ape!" Lyon roared. Instantly, a massive monkey of ice appeared, individual hairs reflecting the sun's light like jewels. The beast smashed its fists into the ground near Racer, only to barely graze him as the man vanished from view, appearing just a few feet away as if mocking the Lamia Scale Wizard.

"Hammer!" Grey bellowed as a massive hammer appeared in mid air, smashing down on the ground close to where Racer was. But again, the Wizard vanished from sight only to reappear a few feet away, wearing a smug grin on his face.

"That's some quick Maker Magic you guys got there. But you're gonna have to move way faster!" Racer gloated as he zipped around the two, shattering the ice creations as he moved.

"This is pointless!" Grey snarled.

"Don't lose your cool Grey," Lyon snapped, eyes scanning the grassy terrain and catching on flashes of white, red and gold. "He's coming in at four o'clock. Together we can beat him, we just need to focus!"

"Gotta keep cool huh?" Grey said as he took a deep breath. "Alright." Both teens yanked off their shirts and tossed them aside. "So let's do this!"

"Fire when I give the word and don't you dare hold back!" Lyon ordered.

"That's weird, why are they taking off their clothes?" Racer thought to himself. At the edge of the wooded area, Sherry watched the two with reddening cheeks and dreamy eyes as she muttered about how the strip show must be out of love. But Sylvia stood, wide-eyed and jaw dropped. From her angle, she could see her mark on Grey's back. But what surprised her was the fact that on Lyon's back, in the exact same place as Grey's, was a blue dragon curled in on itself and "SD" on the side.

"What is this? Why do both Grey and Lyon have my mark on their backs?!" Sylvia thought to herself. The boys smirked at each other before their eyes returned to the grassy area.

"There!" Lyon barked, catching sight of the Dark Wizard. "He's in front of us and headed this way!"

"We got you now," Grey growled as he slammed his fist into his palm. "Ice...Geyser!" Both hands slammed into the ground, creating a wall of jagged ice that seemed to catch Racer but the man vanished in the next second.

"Snow Dragon!" A twisting dragon of pale-green ice appeared in midair, its scales and the tips of its teeth and claws glistening like diamonds had been trapped in the frozen creation. Racer balanced precariously on the tip of its nose. The beast snapped its jaws, trying to catch the man but he vanished from sight, reappearing every few seconds on another part of the long body before he leapt off the tip of the tail and landed on the grass.

"No way..." Grey breathed.

"He's even faster than before?!" All air rushed out of the boys' lungs as Racer slammed into them, sending them flying.

"What's the matter punks? Can't keep up?" he jeered as he repeated the action. Lyon grit his teeth and forced his eyes to open as a hand moved to his side where he was sure he'd heard a rib snap. He couldn't be taken by surprise again. Another gasp slipped past his lips as he caught sight of the birds that were leaving the forest, wings flapping at a pace where Lyon almost couldn't see them. His eyes widened in realization as Racer came to a stop.

"You could attack me for eternity, but you'd never come close to landing a single hit. Remember, you're dealing with the fastest man alive."

"Oh no..." Sherry breathed. "Could all the rest of them be this powerful?"

"Been fun but it's time for the final thrashing to begin. I'll make it as quick and painful as possible," the Dark Wizard promised as he turned to face his victims. Grey snarled under his breath as he forced himself to stand. Lyon did the same and placed a hand on his fellow student's shoulder.

"Don't worry Grey, we've won." Grey gave the silver-haired teen a look as said male smirked. "I just figured out how we're gonna beat this guy."

 

Back in Magnolia, Makarov looked over the file folder he'd just received.

"The investigation report has come in," he reported to Mira as she washed the dishes behind him.

"Regarding the Oracion Seis?"

"Yes. It seems the fellow calling himself Brain might've worked for the Bureau of Magical Development," the elderly Master said grimly. Mira set down the mug and rag in her hand and looked incredulously at the man.

"For the Bureau?!" she asked quietly, keeping in mind the dozens of Wizards in the Hall who were drinking and completely oblivious to the fact that two of their top three teams were missing. "Do they know his identity?"

"They're looking into it as we speak," he said as he handed the file over to Mira. "What's even more troubling is this R-System the report mentions. It apparently has ties to that monstrosity the Tower of Heaven." Mira's eyes widened as they scanned over the fact. On the next page was a list of victims who'd been taken by the cultists who'd forced the Tower's construction. She recognized Erza's name at the top of a short list of survivors and her throat constricted some. "Will we never leave it's shadow?" Mira shut the folder and set it off to the side.

"That means it's connected to Jellal in some way. Is Brain continuing his work?" the former S-Class Wizard asked, shoulders squaring themselves.

"That's definitely a possibility," he said before taking a long swig of his drink. "If he is following in Jellal's footsteps the world as we know it could be in grave danger."

"It'll be okay Master." The old man looked at the white-haired girl as she smiled softly. "Two of our best teams are out there. That fact alone keeps all of my doubts at bay." Makarov smiled and nodded.

"Well said Mira."

"Who knows, maybe the Thunder Legion can keep Natsu's team from destroying half the world they're trying to protect," she joked. Makarov's eyes went wide.

"You kids are gonna drive me to an early grave!" he swore.

 

"I wonder what those two could be whispering about," Sherry muttered to Sylvia. The blonde nodded.

"If I had Ava's hearing, I could probably tell you. But I'm not a Dragon Slayer like my sister." The two Ice Wizards they were observing yanked apart from each other.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Grey roared.

"Too bad, that's the plan," Lyon said with a smirk before snapping his fingers. A hunk of ice appeared, sealing Grey inside. "I'll stop him without you."

"Wait, what are you doing?! Let me go!" Grey yelled as more and more ice appeared under him, pushing him up into the air.

"Why are you freezing him like that?!" Sherry demanded.

"Lyon!" Sylvia snapped as she raced to the pillar of ice.

"Will you quit messing around?!" Grey barked. "You can't take this guy on your own and you know it!" Lyon let out a haughty sound as he turned to his foe.

"Just sit back and enjoy the show. I'll finish him."

"That was kinda harsh," Racer commented. "Is that how you treat your friends?"

"If you think the two of us are friends then you're sorely mistaken. We simply trained under the same master when we were young, that was all."

"Oh yea?!" Grey challenged.

"I don't understand we'll need his help!" Sherry called as she ran towards Lyon and Sylvia began climbing the pillar, trying to reach Grey.

"We can handle him on our own. Together we will give Lamia Scale its greatest victory ever. Now let's get to work."

"Y-yea...of course..." Sherry said as she got into a stance. Sylvia glared at the two and shook her head as she pulled back with her Trident and stabbed the ice twice, once to make a new handhold and the second to use her Trident as one until she could slip her fingers into the freezing hole and pull herself up.

"I'd be careful if I were you, let your arrogance get the best of you and you're sure to lose," Racer cautioned "Well...It's not like you ever had a chance of beating me anyway, right?"

"Now who's being arrogant?" Lyon taunted just before Racer vanished.

"Marionette attack: Rock Doll!" Sherry cried, pulling a massive humanoid being from the earth before her. The fist just caught Racer's shoe before he smirked and leapt off.

"That's a neat trick girlie, but it's too slow to catch me," he said as he moved and the rock doll's fist crashed down right where had been standing. "It's practically standing still!" Racer cackled as he continued to hit the creation with a barrage of kicks and punches that had the massive thing tipping side to side as it move slowly to attempt another attack.

"I can't even see him! How about this? Go! Wood Doll!" The creature of earth collapsed into a heap of dirt and dust and instead a massive tree appeared behind Sherry and began reaching its branches out like arms and hands to grab the Dark Wizard.

"Yea, keep throwing them my way. It's totally pointless!" Racer sneered as he dodged the branches with ease.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you!" Sherry snapped as she crossed her arms and the tree did the same, entangling Racer in the thick branches.

"Oh! You got me..." he said before he disappeared again.

"There's no way he broke free!" Sherry cried in surprise before a hard punch to her gut drove all the air from her chest and sent her flying back into a heap.

"Told ya sweetheart!" Racer sneered just seconds before he leapt out of the way of an eagle of ice that crashed into where he'd just been standing and turned into a tiny explosion of icy spikes. Racer turned to where it had come from to see Lyon running away.

"Over here slowpoke!" he provoked. Racer scoffed and vanished from sight.

"I don't know what you're getting at pal. The only slowpoke here is you!" the Dark Wizard sneered as he rushed after the teen. Lyon slammed his foot down and turned to face the man.

"Your speed counts for nothing if your attacks have no power behind them. I can prove that you lack the ability to land a decisive blow!"

"Oh yea?!" Racer challenged. Lyon smirked.

"Let's see how you handle this. Ice Make...Hedgehog!" Massive spikes appeared on Lyon's back and Racer froze just inches away from having his nose speared by one. "Better not get too close or you'll end up a shish kebab!" Lyon taunted as he landed a kick to Racer's chest and took off running. "What's the matter Racer? Are you afraid that beloved speed of yours might get you skewered?!" Racer pushed himself into a crouch and smirked.

"Don't get cocky kid. Gear Change...Red Zone!" A magic circle appeared under the Speed Wizard, turning from green to crimson as he spoke. Lyon felt his heart speed up some as Racer vanished. A brush of air was the only warning he got to brace himself before Racer's foot connected with the silver-haired mage's chest, sending him flying and shattering the ice on his back and sending the Ice Wizard crashing into the ground. Racer stood a distance away to watch the dust cloud that arose from his actions. "You're so naïve, did you honestly think I was going to use my full speed from the get-go against such a weak opponent?" Lyon burst from the dust at a dead sprint.

"Come get me!" he taunted.

"You're on!" Racer agreed eagerly, catching up to the teen and delivering a devastating kick to his back that sent the boy sprawling. Lyon quickly shoved himself back to his feet and continued to run. Racer caught up and kicked him down again, only to have Lyon return to his feet. The cycle repeated a couple of times until Lyon could see the edge of a cliff's edge up ahead of him. He smirked and spun around.

"Ice Make Eagle!" he wheezed.

"When are ya gonna realize you can't hit me?!" Racer called as he zipped through the flying ice creatures and began landing kick after punch after blow after blow to Lyon's battered and weary form until the boy fell back, knocking his head on the trunk of a tree with an ominous noise. "You honestly think I don't have the power to deliver a decisive blow?" Racer sneered as he broke off a spike from where one of Lyon's eagles had landed and knelt down over the battered wizard as he panted and wheezed for air. "Why don't I show you?" The spike came down and stopped just barely pricking Lyon's throat with the sharp tip, drawing a tiny drop of blood from the spot. "I don't need that power to put the brakes on this fight. Don't you realize that as fast as I am, I had won this fight before it even began? Before you even tried using your magic, I could've snapped yours, your little buddy's and your little girlfriend's necks if I wanted to. Apparently you're not as smart as your think you are. No one who's ever opposed us has lived to tell the tale. Do you think you and your pals will be any different?"

"In all honesty, yes," Lyon managed, catching Racer off guard. "After all, no one's fought you and seen through your little tricks. Like how I did when Grey and I were fighting together. After all, birds can fly quickly when panicked, yes, but not nearly as quickly as they did back in the field. So basically, you've never been as fast as lightning. You alter a person's perception of speed, basically slowing them down. And once someone is out of the perimeter of that magic...Well..." Racer's eyes went wide behind his glasses as he looked back towards the field, where the massive pillar of ice Lyon had made was clearly visible.

 

The top of the ice pillar exploded as Grey broke through and grabbed Sylvia. His hands created a bow of ice in front of them with her Trident acting as the arrow.

"All according to plan," Grey murmured into Sylvia's hair.

"Geez. You two..." she muttered with a roll of her eyes as Grey pulled back on her arm and began covering the ancient Trident in ice.

 

"There's no way they'll be able to hit me from there! They're over a mile away!" Racer objected.

"Oh...they can do it," Lyon assured. "If there's one thing I've learned about the wizards of Fairy Tail, it's that they're never to be underestimated. There's no stopping them!" The Ice Wizard looked over his shoulder to see a flash of light before hearing a sound akin to thunder as Grey and Sylvia released their spell, sending a massive arrow of ice right for Racer. The Dark Wizard didn't even have time to react before the ice struck him in the chest, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him flying back. Lyon smirked as he laid back and felt himself relax.

 

"Ly...Lyon...Lyon!" The silver-haired teen's eyes slowly opened to find himself resting his head in Sylvia's lap with Grey and Sherry looking down at him. "Thank goodness, you're awake," Sylvia breathed.

"You feeling alright man?" Grey asked. Lyon smirked and forced himself to sit up, only to have a wave of dizziness send him back. Sylvia grabbed him and helped him lean against her for support.

"Easy Lyon. I think you might have a bit of a concussion," the blonde said gently, pushing Lyon's head up to reveal a bloody spot on the back of his head. "Heavens above and oceans below Lyon!"

"Let me see," Grey said, taking a seat on the trunk. Sylvia shifted to let him take a look. "Ah, he'll be fine. Take a lot more than that to bring my brother down." Sylvia's eyes went wide as Grey stood up and moved so he was standing next to Lyon.

"Brother?!" she thought, half-panicked.

"Can you stand up?" Grey asked, offering his hand to Lyon.

"Think I'll sit a bit longer," Lyon sighed contentedly as he leaned back into Sylvia's arms. The blonde giggled a little before rolling her eyes. She was half tempted to card her fingers through the silky silver strands tickling her neck and shoulder but she instead moved her hand to the tiny space between her folded legs and put her weight on it, keeping it put.

Grey felt a smile pull at the corner of his lips. Sylvia had a warm smile on her pale-pink lips, her eyes matching the look, making the silver look molten. Her hair caught the light and shimmered like the surface of a lake as she moved to steady hers and Lyon's weights. The right shoulder of her clothes was torn, revealing the edge of a blue tattoo and her skirt's hem was tattered and caked with mud but she looked absolutely beautiful. Her gaze moved to look Grey in the eye and he couldn't help but stand up just a little straighter and marginally puff out his chest.

"I've got you now!" Everyone snapped around to see Racer standing up, a wild look in his eyes and ripping his jacket down the front to reveal a device strapped to his chest. "In the name of the Oracion Seis, I'm taking you to the big slab in the sky!" Everyone's eyes widened at the sight.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lyon breathed, barely believing it.

"He's rigged himself with a bomb lacrima!" Sylvia gasped.

"Seriously...is he insane?" Grey breathed.

"We'll cross the finish line together!" he roared, running towards them and breaking into a mad cackling.

"No way," Grey snarled as he tried to summon his magic, only to have his knees give out under him.

"Grey!" Sylvia cried.

"It's no use...I'm on empty...We're totally-" A blur of silver shot forward and grabbed Racer around the middle just feet away from the group. "What are you doing?!" Grey roared as he realized Lyon and Racer were about to tip over the cliff's edge.

"Lyon!" Sylvia cried.

"No!" Sherry yelled as she lunged forward only to have Sylvia hold her back. All three watched helplessly as Lyon and the Dark Wizard vanished.

 

Lyon looked over his shoulder at the three; his guild mate and old friend, the young Water Wizard who'd fought beside him that day, and his oldest rival, his oldest friend, his little brother. His lips curled into a sad kind of smile as all three vanished from view and were replaced by sharp rocks that passed by in a blur.

"Grey...I always knew you'd be the death of me," Lyon thought as the bomb lacrima under his chest began to glow, giving a final warning that it was going to blow in a few seconds.

 

The light was their first warning that the bomb was about to blow. Grey grabbed both girls and yanked them down behind the log, covering both of them with himself.

The ground shook as the bomb went off. Sherry screamed right in Grey's ear. He winced at the pain that laced through his already ringing skull at the sound but didn't remove himself until the earth stopped shaking. His arms trembled as he forced himself up. Sherry covered her face in her hands as she sobbed.

"This can't be happening! There's no way he's gone!" she cried as Sylvia wrapped her arms around the girl, only to have her show of comfort be shoved away. Grey couldn't blame Sherry for her behavior. The man she loved had just been killed protecting them. Sylvia had stopped her from going and attempting to help. But Grey also knew that Sylvia couldn't be blamed. She'd been trying to protect her teammates. And if Sherry had gone and tried to help Lyon, there was the chance that she could've fallen over with them and Lyon himself had said they couldn't afford to lose one of their strongest while fighting the Oracion Seis.

But now, they had lost one of their strongest. But the Oracion Seis had lost one as well, leaving five powerful Dark Guild members against the allied Guilds against them. Under normal circumstances, Grey would consider the odds of the allied Guilds pretty good for an across-the-board victory. But the Oracion Seis were not ordinary and these were not normal circumstances.

With a growl, Grey slammed his fist into the ground and threw his head back.

"Lyon!" he roared, his other hand fisting the grass under it, pulling the tiny plants free of the dirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Yahooo!!!!!!! We are all caught up! I'm working hard on chapter 12 on fanfiction.net and it will be up as soon as its done. Just note, once we hit chapter 15, I will be doing my usual review of the story that I will plan to do every 5 chapters from now on to make sure there's nothing wrong with what I've posted so far. If you guys have noticed grammar errors, spelling errors, anything, let me know and it will get fixed.   
> In the meantime, I'm considering making a chirbit account for myself so I can make audio-recordings of this story and the FIVE other story ideas I managed to conceive. Just let me know if anyone is interested in this!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nirvana is unsealed and secrets become unveiled.

Cobra stopped in his tracks as a great rumbling rang in his ears and shook the ground. Cubelios hissed. The Dark Wizard reached up with a shaky hand and petted the snake's head.

"Easy Cubelios. Easy girl," he said gently, trying to calm her down despite his own shaking. Unwanted memories flashed before his eyes even after the sound and sensation died down. Cubelios hissed again, forked tongue tickling his cheek in a concerned manner. "I'm okay girl. Just some bad memories associated with blasts." Cubelios rubbed her head under his chin and the Wizard smiled at her as he pet the long, coiling body.

He closed his eyes and continued walking along, focusing on Jellal's footsteps over any other noise. He could rely on Cubelios to warn him if he was about to run into something and she could lift his leg a little higher if he was about to trip on a root or a rock. But he had to clear his own mind before he did much else.

The image of a dark-haired woman with bright blue-green eyes dressed in a long, pale-blue, ratty dress smiling at him appeared behind his closed eyes. Bleeding cuts and purple bruises manifested themselves on her before he was forced to stop in his tracks. "Go on! Take care of the others! And I know you'll find your sister soon enough! And remember, you may not be my blood, but you're always going to be my baby boy. I love you so much..."

Cobra hissed and snapped around to punch a tree. His fist broke through the bark and embedded itself in the meat inside. His other hand reached into the high collar of his shirt and pulled out a silver locket with a sapphire at the top and lock. "Anya" was engraved on the front in curly writing.

"I finally found her Mom. I found Ava. But looks like one of us may not be walking away from this fight..." Cobra took a few more minutes to collect his thoughts. Brain had made it clear of his intentions for Nirvana. Cobra had only stayed with him this long because the man had resources, resources he needed to find his mother's daughter. But now he was in too deep. He couldn't get out of Brain's grasp without one of two things; dirtying his own hands with the man's blood or dying himself.

 

Natsu and Laxus froze in their tracks as the earth beneath their feet shook.

"What's that rumbling?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know," Laxus said, tightening his grips on his load as the rumbling stopped. Ava groaned but didn't wake up. "Let's hurry up. We're almost there." Natsu nodded and the two took off again.

 

Once the rumbling came to a stop, Grey eased himself up and off the girls. Sylvia pushed herself up and the two rushed to the edge of the cliff and peered over, trying to catch some sign or sight of Lyon. Black smoke billowed into the air, obscuring the view.

"Lyon..." Grey breathed as Sherry began coming towards them, her legs shaking, threatening to give out under her at any moment.

"How...How could this...How could this have happened?" she asked, tears choking up her words. Sylvia looked back at the girl then down at the smoke again.

"If that really was my mark on Lyon's back...then I'd know if he was dead or not. Just like how Ava would know if Laxus was dead or not. So..." The blonde took a deep breath. "I say we get down there and look for him. You and Sherry take the left side of the valley and I'll take the right. We'll work our way in from there. Sound good?"

"Good," Grey agreed as he created two slides of ice leading to the separate sides of the valley. "Be careful, alright?" Sylvia nodded and the two Wizards leapt off the cliff, sliding down the ice. Sherry stood at the top of the slide Grey had used, her eyes turning dark and hard.

"Somebody's gotta pay for what happened to Lyon."

 

Jura looked around cautiously. He could sense the great explosion that had happened a ways off, as well as the observer nearby.

"You don't honestly think you can hide from me. Show yourself!" he ordered. The ground around him began moving as he slowly started sinking. The edge of the heating soil surged upwards to try and bury him.

"How silly of me to try and outfox a Wizard Saint, oh yea!" Jura grit his teeth as he held up a hand and curled all but his index and middle fingers. The softened earth around him froze and solidified, turning into massive pillars that shot right back at Hoteye. The massive red-headed man repeated Jura's gesture and the pillars crashed not into his hulking form, but into a sphere of heat that encircled the man and melted the pillars again, letting the earth fall to the ground like rain.

Hoteye smirked as Jura glared. After being attacked by Angel, he wasn't about to let his guard drop again. The Oracion Seis seemed to have more power than he had been prepared for and he and Ichiya had learned the hard way to not underestimate them; a mistake that the Wizard Saint would not be making again anytime soon.

"We both use Earth Magic and yet our powers are so different," Hoteye commented. "Mine heats up and softens the soil whilst yours solidifies it. Oh yea!" Jura's eyes narrowed at the smiling man. "I wonder...Who's power is the strongest. Don't you?" Jura shifted into another battle-ready position, his magic reaching out to the ground around him in case he needed it.

"No, magical ability is irrelevant. It is the stronger ideology that always wins," the Saint said firmly. Hoteye simply smiled more broadly.

"I'm afraid that your wrong. No matter the era, the ones who triumph are the rich! Oh yea!"

 

A few minutes after the rumbling died down, a rustle caught the attention of the Thunder Legion and Lucy. Evergreen and the blonde stepped back toward Erza as Bickslow readied his babies and Hibiki slipped into a battle-ready position.

Laxus and Natsu stepped out of the shrubbery a moment later.

"Miss us?!" Natsu cheered with a goofy grin on his face. Laxus rolled his eyes as Bickslow and Ever came over to check on Ava and Freed and Natsu moved to set down Wendy and the cats near Erza.

"Natsu!" Lucy cheered with a bright smile as she threw her arms around the Dragon Slayer's neck. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Thanks Luce," Natsu said as he pulled away and looked at Hibiki. "And thanks for the map Hibiki, worked like a charm." Ava groaned at the noise and slowly raised a hand to her throbbing temple.

"Ava?" Laxus asked, helping her sit up. The dark-haired girl smiled at her husband.

"Hey honey," she said groggily.

"Are you alright?" Ever asked, concerned as Ava sat up and popped her neck.

"Yea. Just a little ticked. Racer had a hold on my Trident and while I was worrying about Wendy, he kinda made me hit myself in the head with it," she said in a slight deadpan. Laxus rolled his eyes but smiled a little nonetheless. "Where's Wendy? I can smell she's close so I'm guessing she's alright."

"She's fine!" Natsu cheered as he grabbed Wendy by the shoulders and started shaking her. "Time for you to wake up kid. I saved you now you gotta save Erza!" All the girls vocalized an objection to Natsu's rough handling of the child but Ava sighed and rolled her eyes once her objection was out. Natsu was a Dragon Slayer and he'd just saved Wendy and herself, not to mention Happy. He wouldn't intentionally harm the girl. "Come on, rise and shine! Wakey-wakey!" Wendy groaned slightly as she came around, her brown eyes opening slowly. Natsu grinned. Wendy screamed and moved back until she bumped into Ava.

"Wendy!" she cried, holding the girl as she moved to attempt hiding from Natsu.

"I had to do it! I'm sorry!" Ava ran a hand over the girl's hair. Natsu closed his eyes and clenched his jaw some before he bowed down, forehead almost touching the ground.

"I'm willing to overlook that right now!" he said. Wendy untucked herself from Ava and glanced warily at Natsu. Laxus stared wide-eyed. He'd never seen Natsu in such an act of humbleness. "Erza was bitten by a poisonous snake. She's in bad shape. Please save her!" Natsu begged.

"She's hurt?" Wendy asked as she turned to look at Erza, who's whole arm was alight with purple magic as the venom slowly made its way through her system.

"We need Erza to defeat the Oracion Seis. We won't stand a chance against them without her help," Hibiki spoke up. Laxus snarled quietly and Ava smiled sympathetically as she patted his shoulder.

"Please Wendy, we need her more than ever!" Lucy begged as well.

"Please," Natsu added.

"Yea! I'll try to save her. No...I will save her!" Wendy declared as she stood up. Ava smiled at the girl as Happy cheered groggily.

"Snap out of it! You're so pathetic!" Carla chastised, drawing attention to the cats.

"Aye," Happy replied. Ava's eyes narrowed slightly at Carla's attitude but her gaze returned to Wendy as the girl stood up and moved to sit beside Erza. She stretched out her hands and a pale-green glow emitted from her palms, bathing the entire clearing in the gentle light. The grass began to look a little greener and Ava could feel the pounding in her head easing. Even Freed, who was still unconscious, groaned upon feeling Wendy's Sky Magic at work.

"I've heard that Jellal did terrible things to hurt Erza in the past..." Wendy thought to herself as she worked, the poison very quickly vanishing from Erza's arm. "That's hard for me to believe."

 

Cobra peered around the edge of a rock to catch sight of Jellal.

"I don't know what it is about this guy, but I can't hear his inner voice. If I could I wouldn't have to sneak around and spy on him like this," the Snake Wizard thought to himself. Jellal's footsteps came to a stop and the maroon-haired mage slipped behind his rock, holding Cubelios' head to his chest so she wouldn't be seen if Jellal were to turn around. "Why'd he stop?" Cobra wondered as Cubelios nuzzled her head against the inside of his jacket. He smiled affectionately. Years ago, he's been able to hide her in his shirt or pocket no problem but now she was far too big for that. If the both of them were using his coat as a blanket as they had in the past, then they could both fit inside but otherwise, Cubelios was simply too big. So rather than have her playfully try to slither inside his coat and risk him giving away the fact they were there, he gently pushed on the tip of her head.

Cobra also took the opportunity to observe his surroundings. All around him were massive, warped purple stones with massive cobwebs hanging from them. They were easily as tall as full-grown men or young trees. Right in the middle was a massive tree that was glowing purple and had enormous chains hanging from the limbs above.

"I know the Woodsea well but I've never seen this place before," Cobra muttered, low enough so that Jellal couldn't hear him. "Looks like Brain was on to something...Think this could be where Nirvana is sealed?" he asked Cubelios, who hissed quietly.

Jellal stepped up to the tree, unaware of the presence behind him. He placed a hand on the trunk. The tree hummed with power as Jellal felt something inside him reach out and touch the tree. Almost like he'd been punched in the gut, Jellal went flying back and crashed against one of the massive rocks, sending him sprawling on the ground. Cobra snapped around to be met with a bright light that made him cover his eyes or risk being blinded. A rush of magic knocked him off his feet and sent him flying. Cubelios wrapped around him to protect her master from the impact against a stone that still knocked the wind from his lungs. He landed, coughing and sputtering as he shakily rubbed her head.

"Go-good girl," he wheezed out as he looked up at a pillar of black light that was shooting into the air. "Geez. What a pain in the neck," he muttered, rubbing his stiff neck. Cubelios hissed in agreement.

 

"Well that ought to do it," Wendy said as she finished with Erza and turned, wiping sweat from exertion off her forehead. "I got rid of all the venom, now all we have to do is wait."

"Wait?!" cried Lucy, Natsu and a wide-awake Happy.

"Well yea. Even with an experienced healer, effects won't be instant," Ava explained as she brought Wendy over to her side with Laxus. The three others sighed and huddled around Erza expectantly. "You doing good?" Ava asked gently. Wendy nodded with a smile before she took note of Laxus on the opposite side of Ava.

"Wait a minute...I know you. You're Laxus! The Lightning Dragon Slayer!" Wendy cried surprised. Laxus nodded.

"Yea. I am."

"Wow. First I got to meet Erza and then you! This is so cool!" Laxus chuckled as he reached over and mussed Wendy's hair some.

"Thanks Wendy."

"She's okay!" Lucy, Natsu and Happy cheered loudly, making Laxus, Ava, and Wendy jump in surprise.

"Hey gimme some skin Lucy!" Natsu called as he raised his hand for a high-five, which Lucy eagerly gave.

"I'm so happy!" she cheered before she started bawling her brown eyes out. The stress had almost been too much for just the start of this mission. Happy went over to Carla, paw raised high.

"Don't leave me hangin'!"

"Fine just this once," Carla said, raising her own paw.

"Aye!" Happy cheered as their paws clapped together. Ava sent another glare towards Carla. So far her attitude had not been the best to be around and if she was like this all the time, no wonder Wendy had had those confidence issues back when they'd met at the house.

Natsu came over to Wendy, hand up for another high-five.

"Thanks Wendy," he said with a smile. Wendy raised her hand and smacked it against Natsu's, resulting in a quiet clap. "Guess I owe you one, huh?" he chuckled. Wendy smiled gently.

"She's probably not going to wake up for a bit but she'll be back to normal when she does," she assured.

"That's incredible. Who knew Sky Magic was so strong? She's already looking much better..." Ava caught sight of Hibiki leaning down right over Erza as if to kiss her. The raven-haired woman shot to her feet and stormed over to land a kick to Hibiki's side that had Laxus wincing and flinching.

"Get some stinking dignity!" Ava barked as she slammed her foot back down onto the ground. She snapped around, flipped her hair over her shoulder and stormed back to her seat, muttering about perverts and how stealing kisses while a girl was asleep was illegal.

"Hey Wendy," Evergreen said gently as she neared. "Do you think you could use some of that magic to heal Freed?" Bickslow nodded from where he was sitting up his captain and where he and Evergreen had been trying to wake him.

"Absolutely not!" Carla practically shrieked. "I allowed it for Erza because of the poison. But Wendy cannot heal any more. She'll insist she's fine but I can tell she's exhausted by the look on her face!"

"No, that's not true!" Wendy cried quickly. "I'm just a little worried. And if Mr. Freed got hurt trying to save me, I have to help him!"

"Wendy," Ava said gently as she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Let's wait a little longer on Freed alright? We'll strike back once he and Erza are alright but in the meantime, all of us need to be in top form for this fight. That includes you, understand? So if you feel tired, that's great. Using your magic is the best way to get better at it and be able to use it more later on. But don't over-exert yourself, alright?" Wendy nodded thoughtfully. Ava sent a hard look towards Carla. The white cat snapped away and released a haughty "hmph" making Ava's eyes narrow at her.

"Yea," Lucy cheered as she wiped at her tears and stood up, a bright smile on her face. "Watch out Oracion Seis!"

"Aye! We're not gonna let you get Nirvana!" Happy cheered. Laxus' eyes went wide in a panic.

"Wait. What?!" he roared. The ground shook as if a massive earthquake had just begun as a bright light shone through the trees, making everyone cover their eyes or risk being blinded. A massive pillar of black light shot into the air, pulling black tendrils from the surrounding area towards itself. Laxus shot to his feet once he could see and his eyes widened.

"It's been unsealed...That's Nirvana!" he snarled through his teeth.

 

"That beam of light just shot up out of nowhere!" Grey yelled as he pulled Sherry down behind a boulder with him, hoping Sylvia had been able to find some kind of hiding spot for herself on the other side of the valley. Sherry was still unresponsive as far as words went but at least she was moving on her own. Grey summed it all up to shock. If he wasn't certain that Lyon would've figured some means of survival, he'd probably be in a similar state.

 

Ava looked from the pillar to her husband and then back and forth between the two.

"Are you sure Laxus?" she asked.

"There's no doubt."

"Seriously? How'd the Oracion Seis beat us to the punch?" Lucy groaned. Wendy began hiccupping sobs that had everyone turning to look at her, save for Natsu.

"That pillar of light...I know Jellal's there!" he growled out through his teeth. Lucy gasped and looked at Natsu, as did a confused Ava.

"Jellal?" Lucy asked fearfully. Natsu didn't respond. Instead, he bolted forward, straight towards the pillar of light. "Hold on! Wait! Don't just run off without telling us what's happening!" Lucy yelled after him.

"Oh no...what have I done?" Wendy breathed, earning her a wary look from Laxus. "This is all my fault."

"Come on, we need to catch up with Natsu," Hibiki said, nursing his side.

"Absolutely not! You all will stay here and I'll go get Natsu. Honestly. None of you should be here!"

"Oh and you should?" Ava asked, hands on her hips. "Let me remind you, Dreyar, that you've had me and Sylvia on S-Class jobs before and we all turned out perfectly fine. What is it about this thing that has you so scared?"

"Nirvana isn't even something I could handle! It's not an S-Class thing! This is SSS-Class Ava!" Laxus snapped back. "Even Gildarts from the Guild would have trouble with this! And he could just crush the thing!" Carla shrieked, drawing attention to her as she stared at where Erza had been laying mere moments before.

"Erza has gone missing!" she reported. Wendy whimpered. "I swear, where are her manners? She didn't even thank Wendy for saving her life!"

"Uh oh..." Happy muttered. "Do you think she heard us mention Jellal's name?"

"How could I be so stupid? This is all my fault," Wendy muttered more to herself than anyone but it was still heard by the Water and Lightning Slayers and earned her a wary gaze from the blonde male. "What did I do? I never should have healed him. It's my fault Nirvana was found, Erza disappeared and Natsu ran off..." Laxus' arm latched onto Wendy by the scruff of her neck fast as a snake's strike and before anyone could say anything, a bolt of lightning made Wendy's tiny form jump and go limp in his grasp. Lucy gasped in horror.

"Wendy!" Ava cried.

"What do you think you're doing to that poor girl?!" Carla screamed. Laxus set Wendy down gently and stood up.

"She'll be fine I just knocked her out. I'm going after Natsu."

"Not alone you're not!" Ava snapped. "You need someone to watch your back. And with it being the Oracion Seis we're against I'm not taking any chances!"

"Ava this is not up for debate!"

"Good! Because I'm going with you!"

"I'm going too!" Lucy spoke up. "Natsu's my partner and if he gets into trouble I'm the only one on our team who can help him!" The blonde turned on her heel and bolted after her partner.

"Lucy, hold on a second!" Ava cried as she bolted after said blonde.

"Ava! You gotta be kidding me!" Laxus groaned before taking off after his wife. "Ever, Bicks. Stay with Freed. When he comes around find the others and get them out of here. No one here is ready or prepared for something like Nirvana!"

"Wait! Laxus!" Ever called as the former heir ran off. Hibiki grabbed Wendy, slung her onto his back and took off after the others. "Ugh! Men!"

 

Natsu leapt over logs and rocks as they appeared in his path and bolted straight through any shrubbery before him, not letting anything move him from his beeline towards the pillar. A massive tree was felled by a Fire Dragon Talon and Natsu shoved himself off the stump to continue on his way.

"I can't risk him running into Erza. I gotta stop...no...I'm gonna destroy him! That way, he won't ever hurt her again!" he snarled as he leapt over another fallen log, right into a clearing full of motorcycle-riding Dark Guild members. The leader yelled something, but over his own snarling and the revving of the engines, Natsu couldn't hear him as his fists burst into flame. "Get outta my way!" he roared as his flaming hands punched tires and riders alike until the whole Guild was left in groaning heaps around the clearing. "I'm not letting that jerk get near Erza! I'll burn him to a CRISP!" he declared.

 

"Lucy!" Ava cried as she grabbed hold of the blonde, causing her to stop running.

"What? Why are we stopping we need to go after the Oracion Seis!" Lucy declared, turning to face the woman.

"We will. But first, Laxus has a few things to explain. For starters, he almost panicked when we mentioned Nirvana and it had nothing to do with the light. He apparently knows something we don't. Isn't that right dear?" Ava turned around just as Laxus emerged from the trees. He looked to Ava, who stood stubbornly with her arms crossed and a hard look in her blue-green eyes. Lucy bit on her lip as Laxus' gaze fell on her and she curled in on herself some. Ava stepped in between the two blondes, fixing a harder glare towards her husband.

"We need to go," he said plainly.

"After you've explained yourself. How the heck do you know about Nirvana? And don't think you'll be able to use that intimidation tactic on me mister. You've tried it before and it failed. You may be bigger and have that scar, but I've been working with you through your good and bad moods for six years. So start talking...Unless you think Lucy should learn more about how we met?" Ava's glare shifted into a wicked smirk as Laxus' Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"You wouldn't." Ava shrugged.

"It was a pretty big day, wasn't it?"

"What happened?" Lucy asked. Ava turned to the blonde female and her smirk shifted into a sweet smile that made Lucy want to run for the hills.

"I caught him in my fishing net and in all honesty he was covered in so much blood I thought he was a corpse."

"Okay!" Laxus yelled, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. Ava bit back a giggle as her husband hissed through his teeth. "Never bring that up again." Ava raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip.

"Stop acting all stubborn and just tell us how and what you know of Nirvana."

"Alright fine. As for how...it was on a job leading up to the S-Class trials. I cut through the Woodsea and came across a village. The chief there realized I was a Fairy Tail Wizard and told me about Nirvana. But what he told me...it's not pretty."

"Laxus...I've been a big girl since the first day I met you. Start talking love."

 

"What is that? What's that light?" Jura asked, more to himself than to anyone else.

"It's Niravna! Oh yea!" Hoteye exclaimed happily. Jura glanced back to his opponent, concern for his younger Guild Mates tightening his chest. "There's no need for you to get all worked up. It's main operation hasn't been activated yet. The light simply means it's seal has been broken," the massive man said with an equally massive smile nearly splitting his face in half. "It's also a sign we're about to be rolling in dough! Oh yea!" Jura's teeth grit as Hoteye continued to chuckle.

"Fighting this fool would be a waste of my precious time. On the other hand, defeating the Oracion Seis is the sole purpose of our mission. Do I stay here and fight or should I go stop Nirvana?" the Saint wondered. Suddenly, Hoteye screamed, ripping Jura from his thoughts. The Oracion Seis member began chanting "Money, money" like a sacred prayer as the Wizard Saint looked on in partial horror.

 

Laxus sighed and shook his head.

"I was on a job before the S-Class trials. On the way back, I came across an old man who told me about Nirvana. When I tried asking him how he knew, he dodged the question. What he told me though is what's terrifying."

"Well stop beating around the bush and tell us already," Ava said with a glare. Laxus returned her gaze with a look of his own.

"You think I don't want to? Because of the nature of this magic, I can't exactly go off talking about it. Even mentioning it is dangerous. It could put us all in danger." Ava raised an eyebrow and Laxus released another sigh. "Nirvana is a kind of magic that can...turn light into darkness."

"It can switch them?" Lucy asked.

"Kinda. But that won't happen until Nirvana reaches its final stage of resurrection. The first thing it'll do is shoot off a beam of light like that one right there. Then it'll seek out those who are weak and switch anyone wavering between light and darkness."

"So that's why you knocked Wendy out right? To protect her?" Lucy asked. Laxus nodded.

"Her guilt made her a prime target for Nirvana's magic. If I hadn't stepped in when I did, she very easily could've turned to the dark side. Remember what she was saying, about how she never should have healed him?"

"Jellal. He is Jellal," Ava stepped in.

"But now I'm worried, what about anger? Is that a negative emotion? Because if so, then Natsu's in danger!"

"I would say normally but since his anger's for someone else's sake it's a tough call in my book. And wouldn't thinking in terms of good and evil bring negative thoughts and emotions to the surface?" All three Wizards snapped around to see Hibiki walk up, Wendy slung over his back and sweat beading down his face from exertion.

"What are you doing here?" Laxus growled.

"Well, you'll need all the help you can get on this. And Wendy's a healer so someone had to bring her for when she comes around," the Trimen member said with a smile.

"Go back to the Thunder Legion. I said it was too dangerous for me and I'm S-Class. I'm trying to put an end to this nonsense! Who came up with this crazy idea anyway!?" Laxus snapped.

"Your grandfather, the masters of Lamia Scale, Cait Shelter, and Blue Pegasus," Ava said sharply. Laxus snarled.

"Of course. Those two were once on the same team, so of course they'd come up with a harebrained scheme like this!"

"Honey! Calm down for crying out loud. We have a Wizard Saint on our side, then there's you, Erza, Sylvia and myself. That right there is 5 Wizards who've handled S-Class jobs. Plus, you told me before Fantasia that Lucy, Grey and Natsu succeeded in completing an S-Class job so that there makes 8. Then add in the Thunder Legion and Happy, who I know helped Natsu, and that's twelve against six!" Ava snapped.

"Ava...you realize you're talking about a smart-aleck flying cat, right?"

 

Grey began looking through the forest rubble, being careful as he moved larger objects in case Lyon was under them.

"I know he's gotta be here somewhere," the raven-haired male assured Sherry as he bent down to start looking through some wood that had stacked together somehow.

"Someone's gotta pay for what happened to my love..." Sherry thought to herself as Grey released a sigh and cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound.

"Where are you?! Answer me Lyon! Hey! Can you hear me?! Lyon!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Sherry's teeth clenched as her gaze fell on Grey.

"He's the one!" She could feel her magic reach out to the burnt plants around her. Uprooted trees obeyed her just as well as planted ones. The gnarled wood came up behind the unsuspecting Ice Make Wizard and wrapped around him, lifting the boy into the air and squeezing him tightly.

"What in the-!" Grey roared as the air was squashed from his lungs. HIs legs kicked at the wood but had no effect as his vision began to darken and blur.

After only a few moments the raven-haired mage went still and Sherry released him, watching with a wicked grin as he fell to the ground, lifeless as a ragdoll.

"I have avenged you my beloved, sweet Lyon. But who will be my next victim? Perhaps one of his friends? Another member of the Fairy Tail Guild? Or maybe the girl who stopped me from saving you? No...I'll save her for last. Then she can know what it's like to experience the pain I know now!" Sherry threw her head back and released a wicked laugh.

 

Hoteye released another scream and continued his chant as Jura took a step back.

"Its as if he's been possessed," he hissed.

"MONEY!" Hoteye screamed, throwing his head into the air. Jura took another step back as the screaming ceased and Hoteye smiled at him broadly. "Is the root of all evil. Oh yea."

"That's not what you said just a minute ago!" Jura exclaimed, surprised as Hoteye began bawling.

"You see, I've been desperately searching for my long-lost little brother! And I thought if I accumulated enough money I'd be able to find him! Oh yea. However...Now I realize how foolish it was of me to think that way! I was wrong..." Jura shook his head in confusion, trying to make sense of the situation. "Jura! Why don't we bury the hatchet and become friends?! Oh yea! The world around us is overflowing with love! Oh...yea! Full to bursting with such sweetness and compassion! Anything is possible when you have the power of love on your side!" The massive man moved with almost inhuman speed and threw his arms around Jura, tears streaming down his cheeks and rolling onto Jura's head. "What do you say we work together to foil my former comrades' plans? We must teach the value of peace, love and harmony. Are you with me?" Jura was still very confused but agreed with the sobbing man as he patted Hoteye's back, attempting some form of comfort.

 

"Alright. Now that we know what Nirvana is and what it can do, we have to stop it," Ava said. "Although that's where the challenge comes in. Natsu and Erza are MIA, Hibiki can't seem to find the others and so we have no idea if any of the Oracion Seis members have been taken down yet. And then there's Nirvana's possibility of turning one of us evil... Are we missing anything dear?" Ava asked.

"Well. All I can really say at this point is that since it's not fully activated, avoid thinking pessimistically. Thoughts like 'why does this always happen to me, if only that person didn't exist' they attract Nirvana like a magnet. Also, don't count on the Dark Guild guys suddenly choosing to fight for peace and harmony. Nirvana's caster can chose how it works. For example, if they wanted to use it against a Guild, they could make the members start killing each other or go to war with another Guild for absolutely no reason and they'd barely have to lift a finger."

"Seriously?!" Lucy cried.

"But that part won't be accessible until it reaches the final stage, Blondie. As much as I don't want any of us around this thing right now, we need to shut it down before it reaches that final stage. So that means we need to catch up with Natsu and Erza. Otherwise, the Guilds of light are going to be wiped out," Laxus said as he turned towards the light. "Come on, we'd best get moving." With that, the group took off running again, Lucy running a little faster to keep pace with Laxus and give him a dark glare. "What?"

"Don't call me 'Blondie', You're blonde too so it sounds stupid coming from you! My name is Lucy and you can call me that," Lucy snapped testily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh! My shoulders are uber stiff right now! And dang! I'm freezing today! Oh. And my computer caught some wicked virus. So yea...I wrote this whole thing on my cell phone. And it sucked. 
> 
> Also, I made a huge decision regarding these stories. So that I'm not doing far too much and working on handling each and every episode in one story (It will get way too long and way too dull) I'm having the books cover one arc at a time. 
> 
> So Ava is currently in the Oracion Seis arc, her introductory arc. So once I finish with this and the Draganoid (Because there's some stuff I really wanna get in that regarding certain characters) I will take a break from Ava and bring in my next OC, a Celestial Wizard named Sonya Vern. And ooohhhh...Her story will be juicy! So now I'm putting up a poll on my fanfiction account to see which one of my other five stories you guys want after Sonya's story. So here's the link for that: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/7129180/ 
> 
> Back to this story, I had Laxus cover what Nirvana was because...Honestly, just telling Hibiki is plain stupid. If Master Bob had told someone, it should have been all four Pegasus members. So Laxus, being an S-Class mage for about 6 years, could have very well heard something on a job. After all...in this story, his jobs took him through Ava's village and she said that the quickest way was through the Woodsea and that trip only took 3 days. So Laxus could have easily come across the Cait Shelter Guild and learned about Nirvana. I mean, he found out Mystogan's real name and we never found out how he learned it. 
> 
> Oh and some news IRL, I was contacted by a publishing company and they want to help me with one of my original works. So this project of my original work will take precedence over my fanfictions. Sorry all. But I will work on this when I can, I promise!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Nirvana's seal is undone the odds become more and more stacked against the Fairy Tail Wizards.

"Hey wait up!" The four conscious Wizards snapped around to see Happy and Carla flying towards them as fast as their tiny wings could carry them.

"Happy! Carla!" Ava said, mildly surprised Carla was flying as well. "I thought you two were staying with the Thunder Legion."

"Well, Hibiki stole Wendy away so I have to stay by her side to make sure nothing happens to her because of you hooligans!" Carla snapped. Ava raised an eyebrow at the white cat as she crossed her paws over her tiny chest, making her sleeves seemingly become one.

"You seem to forget it was us hooligans who just saved Wendy, not even thirty minutes ago," Laxus deadpanned.

"And it was you who attacked her without reason!" Carla snapped flying right into Laxus' face and pushing on his nose to emphasize her words. The massive blonde batted her paw away with an annoyed glare.

"Carla, although Laxus' actions may have seemed rash, his justifications are enough to-"

"You're a rather biased party considering you're married to this brute!" Carla snapped, cutting Ava off mid-sentence. The raven-haired woman narrowed her eyes but took a deep breath.

"You're right. I am. However, please listen to what I have to say." Carla let out a haughty 'Hmph' as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked on expectantly. "Laxus just finished telling Lucy, Hibiki and myself that Nirvana has the ability to turn light into darkness. Basically, once it's fully activated, it can turn everyone in the Alliance evil."

"My word," Carla gasped, her arms falling to her sides.

"That's not good...What if Natsu turns to the dark side?!" Happy cried.

"I wouldn't worry about Natsu," Laxus sighed. "More than likely, he'd be creaming about wanting to fight everyone and everything until there's no one left. Basically, same Natsu as ever."

"I guess evil Natsu would be the same as normal Natsu, huh?" Happy joked.

"I had a feeling he was just a powder keg ready to explode," Carla snapped, paws landing on her hips authoritatively. Ava groaned.

"In any event, we have to find Natsu and Erza. If Laxus doesn't stand a chance against Nirvana, neither will they," Hibiki pointed out.

 

Grey grunted as he shoved massive dead trees and shrubs out of the way. All signs of living greenery had been stripped clear of the forest area, leaving only burnt, brown dirt and wood in the wake of the explosion. No animals scattered and fled in Grey or Sherry's presence nor did any birds fly overhead, crying out in fear of the wizards. There weren't even bones to mark the existence of any living creatures before the blast. All in all, the only things that seemed to have survived were the skeletal remains of massive trees and thick shrubs that almost fell to splinters in Grey's hands as he tried moving them.

"I know he's around here somewhere," he said, more to himself than the silent redhead behind him. He'd known Lyon back when they were kids and even after the years apart, he knew Lyon wasn't one to just die the way he had. No, the silver-haired Ice-Make Wizard was too proud of his status as a pupil of Ul Milkovich to allow for something like that to happen. Lyon's ultimate goal in life, back as a child and the last time he and Grey had seen each other, was to surpass Ul.

A single thought made Grey pause in his tracks as he reached for a large branch.

Ul had died protecting Grey and Lyon from a demon, sacrificing herself for them. And Lyon had basically done the exact same thing.

Grey shook his head quickly and went back to work, ignoring how rough splinters from the wood dug into his palms as he lifted. Lyon was still alive somewhere. He had to be.

"Where are you?! Answer me Lyon! Hey!" Grey called when he found nothing under the branch but more dirt. "Can you hear me?! Lyon!" Grey waited a moment, brushing his hands on his pants in and attempt to be rid of the splinters stuck in them. They weren't deep enough to draw blood yet, but they could if left alone. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if they bled but using his magic on cuts always stung and that was always an inconvenience. Not to mention made the wounds even bigger than before.

He bent back down and started shifting through a massive tangle of tree and bush branches. Completely unaware of the redheaded woman behind him smiling as thin, sickly-looking vines slithered over the dirt towards him.

 

Sylvia stabbed the pointed tips of her Trident into the bark of a fallen tree and began pulling and pushing, trying to make it move. After a few unsuccessful moments, she jumped up and hung by her hands on the long staff, trying to use her weight to move it.

"Bad leverage point," she muttered before moving to try pulling the points free of the wood. After a few unsuccessful tugs and pulls, the silver-eyed girl looked to the heavens as if begging for help. "Really? Why me?" Sylvia went back to her task of removing the Trident from the dead tree.

The blast hadn't been nearly as strong on this side as the other. Yes, most of the greenery was dead, but there were dead leaves hanging from everything, the earth was warm and muddy in some places and animal tracks were visible leading back to the green forest. And the worst part for Sylvia was how everything was sticky.

The mud had stripped her of one sandal, dead leaves that seemed more like slime than anything living freckled her dress and face, and the air was an odd combination of just dry heat and stickiness. There was no humidity but there was a sort of dry stickiness to the air that made a trickle of sweat run down Sylvia's face and neck with every movement, further staining her dress to black and wearing away at her quickly depleting patience levels.

Sylvia braced her feet against the tree and pulled on the Trident one more time, releasing a squeal of surprise when it came loose, and gravity promptly dropped her on the ground. The blonde growled under her breath when she realized she'd landed on another bush of slime-leaves. "I hate my life today."

Sylvia sat up and rubbed at where some branches had stuck her in the back. Suddenly, the blonde felt something wrap around her throat like ropes. She screamed in terror and grabbed at her throat, only to find slimy remnants of leaves and sweaty skin. Nothing was there that could obstruct her breathing.

But if that was the case, why did it feel like she couldn't get enough air into her lungs? Or that something was wrapping tighter and tighter around her neck?

Black spots swam in front of Sylvia's vision and her stomach flipped around as if she was being thrown around like a ball.

Then, just as quickly as it had started, the sensation stopped. Her stomach settled and hard coughing raked through her, tearing painfully through her throat and vibrating in her chest.

"What the heck was that?" she huffed out between coughs as she pushed herself up and onto her feet. The blonde cleared her throat and rubbed at her neck, still feeling some sort of lingering touch there. "I've got a bad feeling about this," she thought to herself.

Harsh coughing snapped her out of her musings and pulled her attention to a fallen tree with blackened roots not too far away from her.

"No way," she breathed.

 

Natsu froze in his tracks at the top of a cliff and sniffed the air.

"I know that smell," he muttered before sliding down in incline towards a river, where he caught sight of a bright orange hoodie and black hair sticking up out of the water. "I'm tellin' ya, the nose always knows," he said with a mental pat on the back. "Yo Grey!" The pink-haired Dragon Slayer waded into the water. "Strange place to take a nap man. What about that speedy dude? Did ya beat him?" Grey was unresponsive. Natsu growled in annoyance. "Wake up!" he snapped. He looked over his shoulder at the pillar of light, where Jellal was. Natsu snarled again as he bent down to drag Grey out of the water. He had to go stop whatever Jellal was doing but Fairy Tail was about family, you don't just leave family laying around without making sure they're okay. Natsu bent down and all but hauled Grey up and out of the water. His clothes were soaked through, adding to the weight and making Natsu grunt at the effort. "Gah, you're heavy. Come on man, I'm in a hurry," the fire Wizard groaned as he started shaking his teammate's shoulders. "Wake up dude!"

Grey's eyes snapped open. But there was something off about them, even Natsu could tell something wasn't quite right.

"Uh...you okay?" he asked as Grey smirked. The raven-haired teen pulled up the hand still submerged underwater, revealing a rope that was pulled tight. Natsu felt the ground shake and his stomach pitched. Under his feet came a raft, rather poorly held together with old, wet rope, but still, the sudden movement and the fact he was now floating down the river made him nauseas. "How'd you hide a raft down there?!" he demanded before losing his balance and wrapping his arms around his aching stomach as he collapsed.

"Talk about pathetic," Grey snapped. "Poor Natsu. Your motion-sickness will be the death of you." Natsu let out a noise as close to a growl as he could, which ended up being more of a pathetic whimper.

"What gives?" he managed to grit through his teeth. Grey's foot came down on his head, pressing it into the wood.

"I'm tired of having to deal with a loser like you. Let's face it. Fire and ice, they just don't mix. I've had enough so I think I'll just end our partnership here," the Ice-Make Wizard said as he raised one hand above his head, cold mist spreading from his palm before a long spear made of ice with a barbed tip appeared. "This is good-bye, pal," Grey sneered. Natsu snarled as best he could. Grey brought the spear down, only to have it shatter in his hand at the last second. The enraged Wizard spun around, ready to use his magic again. "Alright, come out!" he barked.

"Mind telling me what the heck you're doing?!" Lucy demanded as she, Laxus, Ava and Hibiki appeared from the trees followed by Happy and Carla and a lanky, dark-haired man in a brown horse costume armed with a bow and arrow ready to fire.

"Looks obvious to me!" Happy declared.

"It would appear we've foiled his foal play," the archer joked, earning him an incredulous look from Laxus and a light groan from Ava.

"Nice...shot...Lucy," Natsu managed before he gagged and tried to keep himself from visibly vomiting.

"I know you're motion-sick and all, but watching you nearly puke after saying my name is killing my self-esteem!" Lucy complained at the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Shall I shoot him?" the archer asked, pulling his bowstring back a little.

"Sagittarius, don't," Lucy groaned.

"What's the matter with you Grey?!" Ava demanded.

"Yea, you're taking this whole fire-ice thing way too far!" Happy added. "Unless he stole your fish then you'd be completely justified!" The blue feline found himself on the receiving end of two glares from both conscious female Wizards.

"Don't give him an out stupid cat!" they barked in unison. Grey snarled.

"Could you be any more annoying? Mind your own business. I'll deal with you once I'm done with him so keep your little mouths shut and wait your turn!" he snapped.

"What was that?" the Lightning Dragon Slayer snarled as he stepped in front of Lucy and his wife.

"Laxus, easy," Ava said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You might want to take a backseat on this one. If you use your magic here, you and I will be the only ones standing and we can't afford to take out our own in this fight." Laxus nodded but did not move back. "Aside from that, this could just be Grey under Nirvana's influence. If that's the case then I doubt his words are his own."

"Ugh...why won't it stop?" Natsu groaned, drool sliding down his chin from his pursed lips. "It's wobbling...and swaying...let me off..." Laxus grit his teeth in partial sympathy for the other Dragon Slayer and Ava hissed in discomfort and slight disgust.

"How are you still sick when it's not even moving?" Lucy asked. Happy leapt into the air, wings appearing as he flew towards the pink-haired Slayer.

"Hang on buddy I'm coming!" he cried. Just before he could grab Natsu, Grey reached out and Happy was encased in ice, thrown back towards the group. Lucy ducked and Laxus yanked Ava back a few steps, letting the cat hit the wet mud behind them.

"How could you!" Carla gasped, astounded.

"That's no way to treat one of your friends!" Lucy added.

"Happy may be able to fly, but he can only carry one person at a time. He has no combat skills...That's all the info Grey has on the pest," Grey muttered. "Well that wasn't helpful."

"What's he talking about?" Ava asked.

"My guess would be he's the first victim of Nirvana's magic," Laxus said.

"So that would mean he's turned to the dark side, right?" Lucy asked, earning a nod in response.

"He's got plenty of info on Lucy though. A newcomer to Fairy Tail, definitely easy on the eyes." Grey smirked. "He likes the whole package." Ava pinched the bridge of her nose as Lucy's face went so red steam was almost coming out of her ears.

"Should I be hearing this?" Lucy asked, taking a step behind the hulking blonde wall that was Laxus Dreyar.

"She can be as hotheaded as Erza, but she hides her pure heart...Oh! She's a Celestial Wizard?! That so?" Grey quickly shot ice at the group, only to have Hibiki step in between them and use Archive to create a shield.

"That's not Grey," he muttered to the others before facing the black-haired teen on the raft. "I can tell you're an imposter! Drop the act!" he ordered. The person began chuckling and burst into a cloud of smoke. As the vapor cleared, another figure stood where the Grey-look-alike had been.

"ME!?" Lucy cried, looking over the mirror-image of herself now standing over Natsu.

"Heavens above and oceans below," Ava groaned. "Do you honestly think you're fooling us? We know you're not the real Lucy so there's no use trying to trick us with this nonsense. Might as well just show us your true form before I start losing my temper."

"Oh I'll show you. And I think you'll find I'm every bit as real as that bimbo," the false Lucy said as she pulled up her top to reveal the ample breasts underneath. Laxus covered his eyes with a groan of annoyance as Sagittarius and Hibiki were reduced to blubbering maniacs at the sight. Ava just glared at the imposter, her patience rapidly thinning.

"Pathetic," Carla commented.

"So wobbly," Natsu groaned, too focused on his upset stomach to even notice what was going on above him.

"Yep they're real!" Hibiki and Sagittarius exclaimed, earning them both a hard kick to the head from Lucy.

"I hate both of you!" she screamed as her twin put the top back down.

"Think of the kind of example you're setting for Wendy you floosy!" Carla snapped. Ava growled slightly.

"Carla! That's not even really Lucy! Heavens above and oceans below, there's no need to be calling people that kind of nonsense when they haven't even done anything!" the raven-haired woman snapped.

"Why does this kinda stuff always happen to me anyway?!" Lucy cried. The blonde clone smirked sadistically.

"Sorry, but it's only gonna get worse from here on out. Because now I know exactly what keys you're carrying." Lucy grasped at the pouch on her hip for said keys. "You had an audience with the Celestial Spirit King? How did a newbie like you get the honor?" The false Celestial Wizard straightened herself. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. Listen up Sagittarius! Take them out." Ava's eyes widened and she threw up the butt end of her Trident, catching an arrow the Spirit had fired just before it could strike Laxus.

"Did I do that?" the archer cried in surprise.

"Are you crazy?!" Lucy cried.

"But I thought you only took orders from Lucy!" Carla yelled as Sagittarius knocked another arrow.

"I-I'm so sorry Lady Lucy...My body is...out of control..."

"Move!" Ava barked, shoving Lucy and Hibiki forward before she and Laxus leapt out of Sagittarius' way and a barrage of arrows flew where the group had been standing mere seconds before. Ava touched the tips of her Trident to the water and threw up a shield before the archer spirit.

"Carla! Take Wendy and get her to a safe place! Laxus! You go with them! Lucy and I can handle this!" Ava cried. Laxus turned to lightning as Carla grabbed Wendy and took to the skies.

"I can handle this on my own!" Carla snapped at the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

"Quiet down furball!" he snapped right back. Ava groaned as her enhanced hearing picked up on their argument.

"I'm gonna close your gate so you can take a break. Don't worry I know it's not your fault!" Lucy called as she pulled out the key.

"I regret I cannot aid you further Lady Lucy."

"No! Lucy!"

"It's about time," the false Lucy said, a malicious gleam appearing in her darkened eyes. "Now Open, Gate of the Archer. Come back Sagittarius." In a cloud of smoke, the archer appeared again, but this time next to the false Lucy, making the real one gasp in horror.

"I am happy to jump back into the fray," he said with a salute. Ava moved her shield so it was between the spirit and the girls again as he began to realize the situation. "This cannot be...By what means have you summoned me?" he asked the imposter.

"Don't sweat the small stuff and you'll live longer. All that matters is that I summoned you so you have to do whatever I ask." The imposter made a cutsy-smile only to have the gesture be snubbed by Sagittarius.

"I shall not betray my charge, no matter what you say!" he declared proudly.

"Let's just give it a shot, okay?" the imposter asked with a cutesy smile before turning towards where Carla, Laxus and Wendy were headed. "Put one right in the middle of that white cat's back!" Ava's eyes went wide as she turned her head towards where her husband and the Cait Shelter Wizards and flown off.

"I cannot do that!" Sagittarius declared, earning him a harsh glare from the false Lucy.

"What's that? Are you disobeying an order from your master?!" she demanded. Sagittarius visibly flinched and clenched his teeth in his attempt to keep from moving to obey the order.

"You may share her appearance and abilities, but comparing yourself to Lady Lucy is a travesty upon her name. So I...shall...not obey...you," he ground out as his hand slowly reached into the quiver on his back and knocked an arrow. Ava squared her shoulders, the water in her shield beginning to swirl and churn, preparing for a new usage.

"Keep fighting her!" Lucy encouraged.

"Please! Send me back my lady!" the archer cried as his muscles shakily started pulling the arrow back, preparing to fire.

"Okay." Lucy held up her key and slashed it through the air. "Closing, Gate of the Archer!" she cried, only for nothing to happen. Ava's eyes widened in partial horror.

"What?" the raven-haired woman hissed through her teeth.

"Hey moron, did you forget I summoned horse-face?" the imposter asked. "And only the Wizard who calls a Spirit can force it back."

"No," Lucy whimpered in defeat as she stepped back.

"Shoot that cat out of the sky! I don't have all day!" the false Lucy barked.

"That's quite enough," a voice said as it neared, catching the attention of the false Lucy. "Nirvana's been found so the runt's useless to us. Let's stop wasting energy my pets."

"As you wish."

"I'm sorry, Sagittarius," Ava murmured as she slipped one foot back and thrust the Trident forward, turning the shield into a ball of water and shooting it towards Sagittarius. Just as the attack struck the archer spirit, the false Lucy vanished in a puff of smoke.

"I'm sorry my lady!" Sagittarius cried as he vanished.

"Sagittarius!" Lucy cried.

"I'm sorry Lucy," Ava said sadly.

"No. I'm sure he's fine. Anyway, he was obviously fighting against himself so I think you actually relieved him," Lucy explained with a light smile.

"Thank you."

"Why hello Lucy and Ava my darlings!" The two female Wizards turned their attention to the opposite bank to see Angel standing before them. "How does it feel to gaze upon an angel?"

"I'm fairly certain we'd both rather be blind, lady!" Lucy called, making the smile on Angel's face vanish.

"Well, I'm sure that can be arranged. Have my pets been entertaining you? I'm quite fond of their little trick," she said as the two spirits appeared before her.

"I'm Gemi," the male wearing the black shorts said, moving forward to distinguish himself.

"And I'm Mini," the female in orange said.

"Piri piri."

"I believe you know them as the Gemini twins," Angel said, a smirk forming on her face. "Celestial Spirits make the best toys, wouldn't you agree?"

"You're a Celestial Wizard alright. Just like Hibiki said."

"Oh? You already know of me? This is rare," Angel commented.

"Only enough to know you make me sick!" Lucy barked as she pulled out another key. "I'm confident I won't fall to the dark side. And I doubt Miss Psycho Swan is gonna be fighting for truth and justice any time soon. So at least I won't need to worry about Nirvana's trickery right now. Natsu's down for the count and Hibiki's in bad shape. Ava's got my back if I need her. And thankfully, we're next to a river and wherever there's water, there's Aquarius." 

"Lucy?" Ava said as the blonde took a few steps forward.

"I got this Ava. If something bad happens, get the boys out of here okay?"

"Alright," the Water Wizard said as she took a few steps back.

"Your Gate Keys will make a lovely addition to my collection, so hand them over now or you'll be wearing lots of red!" Angel ordered.

"Never to the likes of you!" Lucy barked right back before leaping into the water so the river touched the key. "Open Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!" The mermaid Spirit leapt out of the current like a salmon, wearing a deep scowl from the moment she burst out of the water. "Wipe her out! I don't care if you have to take me with her!"

"That's just what I was planning on doing," Aquarius snapped, causing Ava to give her a horrified look and Lucy to deadpan.

"What did I ever do to you?" Aquarius hoisted her silver urn onto her shoulder and the river surged around her.

"Every last girl out here is gonna drown!" she screamed in rage. Ava lifted her Trident, ready to defend herself and Lucy from the enraged Spirit. Angel daintily lifted a golden key of her own.

"Now Open, Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio," she said with a smirk. The riverbank became engulfed in golden light.

"What did she say?" Lucy asked.

"This could be bad," Ava added as the light began to fade, revealing a tall, dark-skinned man with half a head of red hair and half stark white. He wore a very intricate red and gold collar around his neck with metal almost like an exoskeleton on his legs, forearms and creating a tail behind him. A belt was wrapped around his waist, showing the Scorpio symbol and holding up a red cloth that wrapped around him.

"I was born to be wicked!" he cried, folding down all but his index and pinkie finger on both hands like a rock star.

"Honey bunches of hunk!" Aquarius half-sighed, half-cried in joy.

"Hunk?!" Lucy cried in surprise. Ava groaned as the two Spirits all but leapt into each others' arms.

"Well whadda ya know? It's my mermaid of delight, Aquarius. Back that wicked tail up for me."

"You don't know how much I've missed you love-muffin," the blue-haired mermaid cooed. Ava covered her mouth and gagged slightly.

"No way. Please don't tell me that Scorpio is-"

"Yep, my boyfriend!" Aquarius cheered. Scorpio looked over at Lucy before leaving Aquarius' hold to move closer to the blonde Wizard.

"Heard a lot about ya. Finally getting to meet my blue bombshell's Wizard is...wicked." Lucy blanched.

"So what exactly has she told you?!" she cried, hardly believing it. Aquarius all but threw herself in between Scorpio and Lucy, dragging the blonde away some to hiss in her ear, "Loos here blondie if you wanna keep breathing, listen closely; Don't even think about embarassing me in front of my Scorpio. Or you're gonna suffer. Clear?"

"As crystal," Lucy assured. Aquarius leapt back to Scorpio. Lucy let out a sigh of relief as the two started walking off, talking.

"What was that?" Ava asked.

"She's gonna kill me one day," Lucy said as Scorpio called to Angel over his shoulder that he and Aquarius were going on a date.

"Have fun!" the Oracion Seis member said cheerfully. Lucy snapped around and ran after the quickly fading forms of the couple.

"Wait! You can't just leave me here! Don't go! No!" she screamed, the two Spirits vanishing as she spoke.

"How have you survived this long without knowing how the Celestial Spirits relate?" Angel asked as she approached the blonde.

"Lucy!" Ava cried as Angel struck out with her leg, landing a harsh blow to Lucy's back, sending her flying.

"A novice like you can't beat me!" the white-hared woman jabbed with a wickedly sadistic smile plastered on her face. Lucy's head slipped under the water. Her lungs and nose burned some as she thought about her situation.

"How am I supposed to beat her without my strongest Celestial Spirit in play? Wait." Lucy shot back up into the air, holding up another key. "She's not the only powerhouse I can call! Open, Gate of the Lion, Loke!" Immediately, a man dressed in a black suit with a red tie, a number of rings on his fingers, blue glasses on his nose and orange, almost mane-like hair.

"Your handsome prince has arrived," he declared proudly.

"We have to beat this chick or the Guild's in danger," Lucy said, pointing at Angel. Loke popped his knuckles.

"Sounds easy enough." Angel chuckled to herself.

"You're a slow learner, aren't you? Let me give you another lesson in compatibility." The Dark Wizard lifted another golden key. "Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries." A young woman with pink hair and big dark eyes, dressed in a small white dress seemingly made of wool with a brown belt around her waist, holding a pouch that was marked with the symbol of Aries. On top of her head were two tiny horns like a ram.

"I hope you can forgive me, Leo," she whimpered meekly. Loke stared at Aries, eyes wide.

"It's you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justie: Holy cow I cannot believe the time it took me to do this! For crying out loud this is nuts! I am ever so thankful for everyone who kept reading but these past months for me have been nuts. First I contracted Shingles then I got sick with something else entirely that just made me miserable, then my psychology class has decided to basically try robbing me of my life! I know college professors don't have any obligation to care about what happens with their students once they've been paid for the semester, I just wish the one that preaches about how humans operate on a psychological level would act like he knows the difference between foundations and intricacies of psychology. On top of all that, finals for the fall semester are coming up. Ugh. On the upside, I'm working on making these chapters longer and better. 
> 
> On another note, another reason for my tardy update is because a couple ideas for the next story grabbed my attention. I'm already preparing Ava's next few chapters as well as Sonya's chapters so that my updates can be more regular. But after this book for Ava, I'm gonna do Sonya's. 
> 
> Please leave a comment, kudos or bookmark for this poor dying-of-nerves author. I can't wait to find more time to write and make these stories more regular. I love you guys and see you next time! Bye!


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